Childhood Friends
by The Smiling Shadow
Summary: If me, and two of my friends met Smith after the war. Me trying to help Smith and protect him from my friends. Smith is found by three children after the war, where he can't remember the life he once had. The children decide to help him.
1. Hey There, Smith

Through A Child's Eyes

"Matt shut up!"

"Hey, don't call me that anymore!"

"It's your name, idiot!"

"No, I'm thirteen now! I'm Squishy now!"

"Matt, shut up! Don't make me bust some Neo on your ass."

She slapped him in the chest like she always did. Of course she had gotten very skilled at it by now, and it hurt even more, as Matt turned putting his hands over his chest, silently screaming. Shadow smiled. And Glitch was holding back a laugh.

"Shut up, Glitch." Matt threatened.

Three thirteen-year-olds walking down stairs, their little own group of friends. Shadow, Glitch, and the newly named Squishy. A little girl with hair as black as Trinity's, and Squishy looking as tall as a future Agent, though he didn't really have the stomach for it, and Glitch future APU Operator as he called himself. Their own little crew, with their own little pretend ship, on their pretend missions.

That is how it is now. When born into the Matrix you wait until you're seventeen to be freed. Thirteen to choose your own name. This is how it is, fifty-six years after the war.

These three born after the war. These three friends since they can remember. Shadow, Squishy, and Glitch. Shadow who always wore black every day for some reason, Squishy who liked to say 'moo', and Glitch the quiet one. Shadow who once wore a suit to school, and upset the teachers for dressing like an Agent.

But then again, that was Shadow. Shadow, the Agent lover.

"So where are we going?" Glitch asked.

"I told you, it's a surprise." Shadow hissed.

"Then why do we have to be so quiet?" Squishy mocked.

Shadow looked over at him, and rolled her eyes.

"Listen you guys. Remember that fight we had a couple weeks ago?" Shadow asked.

"You mean the one about Peanut butter?" Glitch asked.

"No! I mean the serious one!"

"Oh, the Neo Smith thing." Squishy said.

"Yeah." Shadow quieted down. "Well, you know that equation thing? The one people are talking about?"

"The negative cannot live without the positive. They must be together in life and in death." Matt said, rather bored.

"And I said, since Neo is going to return, then Smith will too." Shadow said.

"Uh-huh." Matt said.

"Yeah...well." Shadow began.

Then she was quiet, and Squishy and Glitch exchanged glances.

"Smith has sufficed." Shadow whispered.

"What?" Glitch asked, neither of them heard her.

Then she started running down the stairs ahead of them. Down this building which is rumored to once have held the Oracle. Old and broken, surely it has seen more than one cycle of the Matrix. Green walls and green flooring. Yes, a very old Matrix building.

She started jumping down the stairs. And then the two boys got the idea that she was serious, and started running after her. They were currently on the ninth floor, while she was somewhere at the fifth. She was fast.

And when the echoes of her footsteps stopped, and they were at the basement the two boys looked around, but couldn't find her.

"This is insane." Muttered Squishy.

Then someone grabs him from behind, and puts a hand over his mouth.

"Sh..." It was Shadow.

She nodded at Glitch, as she lowered Squishy and Glitch to the floor.

"Look." She pointed around the corner.

Squishy took a look, then started thrashing, and screaming through Shadow's hand. And Glitch...Glitch didn't do anything but stare in horror.

"Matt. Matt! Quiet." Shadow urged. "If you scream, he'll hear us."

Then she let go of his mouth, and Squishy just sat there.

"We have to go, we have to go right now." Squishy started crawling away.

"Matt, it's okay." Shadow said.

"Are you crazy!? That's Agent Smith! Agent Smith! The guy who single-handedly killed Neo!" Squishy started yelling.

"Matt. Listen to me. It's okay." Shadow tried to explain.

"Wow..." Glitch whispered.

"That's Agent Smith!" Matt continued.

"Matt, shut up." Shadow tried to not scream.

"Wow..." Glitch whispered again.

And there in the corner of the basement, just next to the light that shined through the window, was Smith. Still dressed in a suit, still with sunglasses on. He just sat there, his suit collecting dust.

"Wow..." Glitch smiled.

"Mae, you and I, both love Smith. I think he's really cool. That doesn't change the fact he's pure evil!" Squishy yelled.

"Matt, listen," Shadow tried.

"No, just because you say Smith can feel anything more than hatred, doesn't mean he can!"

"Wow..." Glitch again.

Then Shadow looked away from Squishy, looked over at Smith. Shadow, who always said Smith should have won, Smith should have lived, Smith should have been free. In her eyes he deserved it.

"Then tell me, why does he just sits there, day after day. Tell me Matt, why he doesn't move an inch, just collecting dust. Tell me, why he doesn't bother to move, but bother's to breath. Why doesn't he move, Matt? Why doesn't he try and rule the world again?" Shadow said.

Squishy stared at her.

"Damn you, you fanfiction writer." Squishy said. "You Angst bitch. Stop making everything so sad."

Shadow smiled.

"Why does he bother to live, when he lives his life in here? He wants to live, Squishy. He doesn't want to die, he fears it." Shadow continued.

"This is heavy." Glitch whispered. "We need to tell somebody."

"No! They'll kill him!" Shadow said.

"Then what the hell do we do now?" Squishy asked.

Shadow stared at him, the program she wrote so much about. Ridiculed for giving the Virus soul, hated for feeling compassion for something as horrible as Smith. But then she couldn't help but smile at him.

"We go over there, and say hi." Shadow said.

"What!?" Squishy yelled.

"Shadow, you're not serious." Glitch stared at her.

"Guys...I've been coming here for three months. Everyday after school. I'm come here for an hour. Walk closer and closer to him. He hasn't moved yet. I don't think he has any fight left in him." Shadow said. "I want to say hi now."

Then Shadow stood up, and started walking towards Smith.

"Mae! Mae damn it!" Matt started yelling.

"Shadow, don't!" Glitch yelled.

"Mae this isn't one of your stories!"

Shadow turned to them.

"Maybe it is." Shadow said, and smiled.

Then she started walking again. The two boys looked at each other. Then they started running after Shadow. Like Neo and Trinity going to save Morpheus from Smith.

Far too late though. Shadow stood above Smith, as he stared down at the ground, still not moving, still not bothering to lift his head to look up at her. So she knelt down.

"Hey. Hey, you okay?" Shadow whispered to him.

Squishy and Glitch stopped right behind her, and froze, getting ready to run.

"Hey, Smith?" She continued.

Then Smith looked up.

"You, you've been coming her for a long time." He whispered.

"Ahh!"

"Ahh!" The boys screamed.

"Shut up you guys!" Shadow hissed.

"He's going to kill us!" Squishy pointed.

"No he's not!"

"Just like he killed Neo!" Squishy yelled.

"Neo?"

Everyone stopped, and looked at Smith.

"I remember that name..." He said. "The man in the black coat..."

Shadow smiled.

"His voice so slow, and deep...As if he were trying not to scream at the world that he knew would not listen..." Shadow said, quoting one of her stories.

She looked at Smith. His suit so dirty, nothing from the Zion Archives. Nothing from the dark black. Just dust, dust that collected for fifty-six years. He looked so frail now. So small and weak. Just a small part of the Matrix, too little for anyone to notice.

It must be horrible to be so small when he was once so great. Just part of the world instead of owning it.

Of course, only Shadow was thinking that, while the boys that read her stuff, and didn't understand it stood there. Not even her parents understood it. Her obsession, her dedication, her beliefs. They didn't need to understand though.

"Do you remember Neo?" She asked Smith. "Do you remember anything?"

Smith looked at her confused.

"Of course I do, little girl." He said.

"Even the...fight in the rain...?" Shadow looked at him.

"Ah, the rain...I love the rain..." He whispered.

"You love the rain?" Squishy raised an eyebrow.

"Matt!" Shadow yelled.

Smith looked up at him, the boy almost looked what he assumed Jones would look like if he was a child.

"I stood in the rain once..." Smith said his voice trailing, looking away.

"I told you, you guys. I told you." Shadow said.

Then she touch his arm. All her life, learning about the program that became a virus. All her life trying to make up a side of him no one knew. The little girl that wore a suit to school, and wrote fanfiction.

"Smith...do you really remember? Everything...? Like how you got here?" Shadow asked.

"I've always been here..." He said.

Shadow looked up at the boys.

"So what's wrong with him, Smith lover?" Squishy looked like he was going to throw up.

Shadow looked over at Smith.

"He lost the fight, because they deleted him from the inside out. Wouldn't you be traumatized by that?" Shadow said.

Glitch then kneeled next to them.

"So you're Smith." Glitch said, and Smith nodded.

"Only broken, half functional. Broken part of what once. Broken memories, fading into dark." Shadow said quoting another story.

It's not really known what happened between Neo and Smith in the last battle, the Machines won't tell anyone. People only know Smith was destroyed in deletion, Neo was killed by Smith. Only a few who really know the internet know that Smith ruled the world. That has been kept a secret.

"You're broken aren't you, Smith?" Shadow asked.

"Broken?" He looked at her.

"I told you guys. A million times, I told you." She said.

"You're protecting a murderer." Squishy said.

"A murderer only trying to make the smells go away." Shadow said.

"Smells?" Smith asked.

"What smells?" Glitch asked.

She hadn't told them about the smells yet.

"You remember, right Smith, the smells?" Shadow asked.

"The smells..." Smith nodded.

"Do we still smell?" She asked.

"I don't know anymore." Smith said.

"What smells!?" Squishy yelled.

"To him the Matrix is nothing but a torture. Smells produced by humans, filth, horrible smells grabbing him, choking him making him breath." Shadow said. "All his life, with smells. He would've chosen death for awhile rather than the smells."

Smith stared at this girl that reminded him a rebel named Trinity. She kept talking about him, or he assumed him.

But he didn't remember that life anymore.

Shadow started dusting Smith off, and looking at Squishy, wondering if he would help. While Glitch, Glitch was asking Smith questions, and he didn't have any answers.

"Hey, Smith. Guess what." She said. "I'm a Smith lover, and I've been waiting to meet you for a very long time." She smiled.

Then Shadow grabbed his sunglasses, and took them off.

"I knew they were blue." Shadow smiled. "See, don't they make him look sad?" She leaned up at looked at Squishy.

"Angst writer." Squishy said.

"You have to admit, this is cool." Glitch said. "I mean, dude, come on. He's Smith, but now he's not."

Shadow put Smith's sunglasses on.

"How do I look?" She smiled at Smith.

"They're too big for you." He said.

Shadow laughed and gave them back to him.

"Squish, you know you want to." Shadow teased.

Squishy then sat down next to Shadow and Glitch.

"Hey, Smith." Squishy said.

"You know you don't remember, right Smith?" Shadow asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"Well we're going to help you remember. I don't want to scare you, Smith, but it's kind of bad, kind of sad. Is that okay?" Shadow said.

"But I still have to wait here." Smith said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I'm waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Neo."

So the three with their pretend missions would go back to Smith, and tell him what he once was. Show him books, and pictures. What happened to Jones and Brown, now that they live in New York. The three kids, and the one that liked Smith, with their pretend crew, and pretend lives.

People always wondered what they did, when they left school together, bags full of books and pictures of Neo and Agents. What that girl with the Smith pictures in her locker did with those two boys.

Pretend lives.

Lives that Shadow put on paper, and entered as Fanfiction.

And right now, they're in that basement, playing poker, and Smith is winning because he has the best poker face ever. Squishy's birthday is tomorrow, and they're going to give him presents. Smith is going to give him a cow in a suit, because Squishy says moo a lot.

Smith won again, and has the chips, Glitch and Squishy back out, and Shadow. Shadow is writing on her notepad. Then he smiles, and says he wins. Squishy makes a comment about Agent Johnson, and Smith shoots one of his skilled looks of Agent death as they have dubbed it. Squishy shut ups, and Glitch starts laughing.

Shadow starts writing this on her notepad, along with scribbles of Smith.

Then Smith turns to her, and grabs her notepad to see what's she writing. She yells to give it back, but he simply stands up, and raises it out of her reach. Then he gives it back, and smiles at her.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

May be continued.

Based on true friends:

Squishy is my friend Matt, and he does look like an Agent, and it is his birthday tomorrow. Glitch is my friend Gino, who loves APUS.

And as you've already guessed, I'm Shadow.


	2. What's Real?

Hang Out

"Smith! Smith!"

Smith stood rearranging his basement, and putting the red couch on the other side of the room. He was trying to make it seem more spacious than it really was. It was getting smaller with all the new furniture the kids had been bringing him. A red couch, a large red chair. Broken television, a television stand, a desk, a bookshelf, and a key holder. Of course he had no keys, so he placed his sunglasses there.

"Smith!"

He smiled, knowing that voice anywhere.

Shadow came jumping down the stairs, fumbling with her school backpack. She didn't notice much else, as she ran into him, and fell to the ground. He stood above her and smiled.

"Look!"

She pulled out the greatest fifty bucks she had ever spent.

"She's been showing everyone." Squishy said, coming down the stairs.

"Almost got beat up for having it." Glitch said, coming too.

Smith smiled, as he grabbed it from her, and held it gently.

"Well..." Smith began, as he studied it.

"Isn't it awesome! I got it off Ebay!" Shadow yelled.

It was a Smith bust, small but greatly detailed. With him pulling out his gun, and his back turning into the code.

"Very awesome indeed." Smith agreed.

He started walking towards his desk with it.

"Hey! That's mine!" Shadow yelled grabbing it. "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

She ran away from Smith, holding the bust gently and strongly in her arms. Smith raised an eyebrow and looked at Squishy and Glitch. They just nodded. This was completely normal, it would pass within the next week.

"What about me?" Smith asked.

Shadow hissed at him, as if her bust was worth more.

"Fine!" Smith yelled at her.

Shadow laughed, holding her bust. Squishy walked passed her, hitting her on the back, and running to the couch. And Glitch stared at her.

"So what else is new?" Smith asked, turning away from Shadow.

"I got math homework you can help me with." Glitch said.

"Do you mean, do, or help?" Squishy joked.

"There was a assembly today." Shadow said, her bust in her arms.

"Oh right...At least we got out of Fifth period." Glitch said, sitting next to Squishy on the couch.

"One of those Candy drives." Shadow says. "I hate those, they're so demeaning."

"Oh, Candy?" Smith said. "Chocolate?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, Mr. Godinez, may I borrow a dollar?" Smith said, turning to Squishy.

"Shut up!" Squishy yelled, throwing a pillow Smith's way.

Smith smiled, throwing it back at him, sadly for Squishy Smith was getting stronger. And Squishy lay on the couch his face covered with a pillow, and Glitch and Shadow laughing.

"Don't mess with the Agent, Squish!" Glitch yelled.

"Ow..." Squishy said.

"Oh, sorry, Squishy." Smith said, pulling the pillow off his face.

"You need to teach us how to do that, Smith!" Shadow yelled.

Smith frowned, as Squishy rubbed his face.

That's what's been happening for so long. It's been three months since three kids found him. Things have been said, stories have been told. He knows what happened long ago. And he dreams broken memories. Not that he tells the kids of course. He doesn't tell them the hatred that's inside him. The hatred he still feels, and wants to go away. He doesn't want the kids to worry, they wouldn't understand. But he allows them to show him the past, and books and documentaries about it.

Ever since they've been coming his strength has been growing. Maybe because they come over almost everyday. He doesn't mind though. These children, are now all he has.

Plus they've been going to Goodwill and the dump finding stuff for him. Like the couch, and bookshelf full of books. They even got him a TV, unfortunately it doesn't work. Glitch and he have been trying to fix it. They've been giving him food too.

He likes chocolate.

These children, little spawns of something he used to disgust. They're all he has now. The only memories he truly can feel. These kids, that found him, and told him who he was. Shadow, the little writer, Squishy the kid who reminded him of Jones, and Glitch the mechanic. Shadow, the little girl who looked up to him as if he were a messiah...Like Neo. Shadow, the little girl who knew too much about him for her own good. Never could have imagined this would be his fate. He would have killed them before. But that was before of course.

They are his friends now.

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"Andy called yesterday." Shadow said, lying on the floor.

"Akio and Shadow sitting in a tree..." Squishy began.

"Shut up!" Shadow yelled kicking his leg.

"Who's Andy?" Smith looked over at the others on the couch, and Shadow on the floor.

"He used to be my neighbor. He was freed two months ago." Shadow said.

"She has a crush on him." Glitch said.

"No I don't! If anyone, I have a crush on Smith!" Shadow yelled.

"Uh, huh. You deny the truth woman!" Squishy pointed.

"Well you have a crush on me!" Shadow pointed back.

"How did you know!?" Squishy yelled.

Glitch started laughing.

"Because your pupils dilate every time you're close to her, your body temperature rises about two degrees, and your palms sweat." Smith said.

Everyone stared at Smith for a second. Still an Agent at heart, as Shadow put it.

"Well, you know I knew for more obvious reasons, but yeah, that's true too." Shadow said.

"Yeah, Squish, everyone at school knows." Glitch held back a laugh.

"Aw man..." Squishy lowered his head.

Smith smiled.

"What did Akio say?" Glitch asked.

"Right, he called to tell me how he was doing. He says he's bald, and he misses his spiked hair. He doesn't know what he'll do without black dye though." Shadow said, sitting up to look at them. "He says it's cold, and everything seems...seems real. Everything is, more alive, more vibrant. And it's cold. Really, really cold."

Smith looked away.

"Wow." Glitch said.

"I wonder what's it's really like out there." Squishy said.

"Real, maybe." Shadow said.

"Your friend is right. It is very cold there."

Everyone looked at him.

"How do you know?" Glitch asked him.

"That's right! You were in the Real World! When you copied that guy! Uh..." Shadow snapped her fingers trying to think of his name.

"Bane." Smith said.

"Bane! Yeah!" 

"You were in the Real World?"

"Yes." Smith says.

"How?"

"He copied Bane, and went through an Exit. There was nothing left of Bane, so he just took over the mind and the body. He was in the Real World." Shadow answered for him.

"Yes, that's how it went." Smith said.

"So what's it like?" Squishy asked.

"I felt...It felt...Alive." Smith looked at them. "You have to understand, that was the first time I had ever felt alive, ever experienced things like that."

"Like what?" Glitch asked.

"Pain." Shadow interrupted.

Smith looked at her, and she looked away.

"Right? You cut yourself, because it was the first time you felt something like that. The cutting of skin, and the wet blood that spilled out." Shadow said, avoiding Smith's stare.

"You were a cutter?" Squishy asked, confused.

"I had never felt anything close to whatever that was. And it was...amazing." Smith explained himself. "I had to breath, I had to eat, I had to do things I've never done to live in that body. I felt alive, I felt human. I hated it at the time, but the feeling of freedom I got from being outside the Matrix. That is what I truly liked out there."

"Wow." Glitch said.

"It's like being born again" Shadow says. "That's what Akio told me..."

"Yes. And besides, I think you'd enjoy the plugs." Smith smiles.

"Ewww." Squishy says.

Shadow and Glitch laugh.

"Squishy is squeamish." Glitch explained.

"Then I won't go into the details when I literally blew Mr. Anderson's eyes out of his face." Smith smiled.

"Ew!" Squishy yelled.

Shadow laughed.

"How weak Mr. Anderson was within the Real World." She laughed.

And then Smith saw a piece of himself in her.

"Don't call him that." Smith snapped.

"What? I do it all the time." Shadow said.

"Just don't call him that, his name is Neo." Smith commanded.

She stared at him for a moment.

"All right, Smith. His name is Neo." She nodded.

And Squishy and Glitch stared at Smith.

He couldn't have them acting like him. He couldn't allow these children to be like him. He was a murderer, and Virus. They could never be like that.

"You know, she's always called him that, even before she met you." Glitch defended her.

"Just don't call him that anymore." Smith lowered his head.

"He's right you know. Didn't that guy beat you up cause you called him that?" Squishy said.

"Someone hit you?" Smith looked at her.

"Yeah, so...Happens all the time when you where a suit to school. I would have worn an earpiece, but those things are so damn expensive!" Shadow said. "That's why I want you to teach us how to fight."

Smith stared at her, puzzled. Why on earth would she want to be like him...

"I heard they put a statue of Neo in Zion." Glitch said, to change the subject.

"Yeah, Akio said that too." Shadow said.

"Right in the middle of the city, right?" Squishy asked, and Shadow nodded.

"I also heard they're going to make a second city." Shadow said.

"Really?" Smith asked.

"Yeah, Babylon. There is talk about building it on the surface." She said.

"Wow." Glitch said.

"That'd be cool."

"Machines will even help."

"Cool."

And Smith looks a way, until the sunsets, and the three kids have to go home. And Shadow is the last one to go, as she holds her Smith bust still tightly in her arms, and waves goodbye.

They leave him then, to the night and the cold.

But they are all he has. And he wouldn't trade them for all his copies back.

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Next Chapter: He Writes Too

Please R/R! I'll need reviews to survive!

I do have a Smith bust, Andy did move away sadly, and Matt still thinks I have a crush on him. Whatever :p I don't.

More to come, some stuff on Jones and Brown, and some more of my friends with their Matrix names! Then uh oh...

Johnson and the others are coming...


	3. He Writes Too

He Writes Too

They had brought over Shadow's dad's toolbox over, to try and fix the TV. Shadow and Squishy sat on the couch, staring across from them, watching Smith and Glitch fixing it.

"It's an old TV. I've never even heard of the brand. 'Deep Image.'" Glitch said, peering into the inside of it.

That's Glitch. Always trying to see what makes something work, then make it work better.

Smith kneels on the other side of the TV, a screwdriver in his hand. He was made from machines, he fought with machines, and now just to spite him, a machine refused to work.

It was one of those days where nothing happened, and there was nothing to talk about. A slow day, where you just wait until the next day. Nothing happened at school, nothing happened at home.

Squishy sat silent, doing his math homework for a change, after borrowing Shadow's calculator...again.

And Shadow stared at Smith, wondering what to write when she stays up until three in the morning, without her dad knowing. Staring at the man in the suit, sitting on the floor.

The boys were never as fascinated by Agents, by Smith as she was. People now a days are taught just as they were before, to hate the Agents, and be careful of the machines. But she...she scares her mother wearing that suit, and it causes much arguing. She was the one that made the boys think about Smith, think about him like she did. She was the one that made it clear, she liked Agents. Then she'd get hit, and the boys would stand back.

How she would spend the nights with her computer, going every little detail that is know about Agents, and Smith.

And now, there he was, sitting in front of her like it was nothing. And she sat there too, as if it was nothing. But it wasn't. She was now everything she wanted to be, a girl that made Smith better. And if it wasn't strange, she'd scream into the pillow right next to her, and hug him. But that would be strange.

Smith looked at her, with those blue eyes that amazed her, as if it were nothing. But it wasn't. There they were, three kids, that were best friends with Smith. Smith, the Smith that ruled the world.

The Smith that would listen to them with so much curiosity. The Smith that remembered their birthdays, and would answer all their questions, no matter how personal or stupid. The Smith that laughed, and played poker with them. Smith that smiled.

And they sat there, bored, as if it were nothing.

"This rocks." Shadow said.

They all stared at her for a moment, wondering what she was talking about. Then Squishy nodded.

"It does." He said.

Then it's back to homework, fixing, and staring.

And Shadow's gaze turns to the bookshelf. Some were library books stolen, others their own that they had finished.

She wondered if Smith liked the books. Most of them were Science fiction, because that's all the three of them ever read. There was some stuff with machines, and some with Aliens. She remembered looking through her books, assuming Smith would like Sci-fi rather than fantasy. But he hasn't said much on it.

"Have you read all those books?" Shadow asked.

Smith looked over at the bookshelf.

"Yes." He said simply.

"Really?" Glitch seemed surprised.

"That's a lot of books." Squishy said.

"You need more complicated books, huh Smith?" Shadow said.

"Well...It's not like those books inspired me." Smith said.

"You should read Shadow's stuff!" Squishy yelled.

"No!"

Everyone looked at Shadow.

"I mean...Uh..." Shadow stuttered.

"Why don't you wish for me to read your work, Shadow?" Smith asked.

"Uh...Squishy I hate you." Shadow said.

"What!? It's pretty good!"

"I don't want Smith to read my stuff, with Smith...doing things..." Shadow said, looking away from Smith.

"Things?" Smith tilted his head.

"Yeah, like one time she wrote you raised your..." Glitch started.

"If you finish that sentence I swear to god that baby picture of you is going on every website I know!" Shadow yelled pointing at him.

"What are you writing about me?" Smith looked at her.

"Uh..."

"Tell him!" Squishy said.

"Don't you dare! I got stuff on you too, Matt!" Shadow yelled at him.

"She gave you a daughter, two lovers, and a lot of angst!" Squishy yelled.

Then it was silent, as Shadow stared at him. That's when something snapped.

"I'm going to kill you!" Shadow yelled.

Shadow lunged for Squishy, grabbing him by the throat, and choking him. He grabbed her by the shoulders, and tried to push her away. Shadow held tightly to him.

But then Smith grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her away.

All the while, Glitch just sat there laughing.

"Let me at him! Let him at him!" Shadow yelled.

"Ms. Catt, lovers?" Smith said, restraining her.

Shadow froze.

"Uh..." Was all she could say.

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He always knew she wrote, knew she was good. Just...not about him in such detail and...such.

"Look, I'm only 13 I leave the more...complicated stuff to the older fangirls." Shadow explained. "It's not as bad as you think."

"Yeah, it's worse."

"Squishy!" Shadow kicked him.

Glitch started holding back a laugh, and Squishy stared at him with all the hatred he could.

"Shut up." Squishy said to Glitch.

"So tell me about this daughter, again." Smith said.

"That one is really good!" Squishy said.

"Shut up!" Shadow kicked him again.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Squishy yelled.

"So far everything you've said has turned out bad for me, so...You can't talk anymore!" Shadow yelled.

Smith started laughing.

"I'm not telling you anything else!" Shadow yelled at Smith.

"Don't make me interrogate you, Ms. Catt." Smith said, grinning.

"Aw crap." Glitch said, with Squishy nodding.

"I know methods...You can't even imagine of the interrogation...It comes from years and years...of practice." Smith spoke slowly, like an Agent again.

And Shadow stood there, watching Smith stand up and walk closer to her. And suddenly she remembered watching the interrogation of Neo for history class. Smith couldn't hurt her...right? He wouldn't dare, the little girl that had a crush on him, he wouldn't touch her.

But he was still Smith right? The Virus the Agent?

"Won't you tell me...?" Smith asked.

Then he put his hand across her face, and gently pulled her black hair out of her eyes, and just stared at her with those beautiful blue eyes.

"Ah!" Shadow jumped back. "Oh God! Oh God!" She started rubbing her arms around herself, as if trying to get clean again.

And Smith and the boys broke out laughing.

"Good one, Smith!" Squishy yelled.

"That was awesome!"

"See? I know how to make a joke." Smith said, looking at Shadow.

"I thought you wanted that, Shadow!" Squishy yelled.

Shadow stopped, and put her hand on her cheek where Smith had touched her.

"Let's do it again!" Shadow yelled.

llllllllllllllllllllllll

"You know he writes too." Shadow said.

Everyone had returned the couch and to fixing the broken television.

"Who?" Smith asked.

"Brownie." Shadow smiled.

"Who?" Smith raised an eyebrow.

"She means Agent Brown. That's what she calls him." Glitch said, peering up from the insides of the television.

"Jonesy and Brownie." Squishy said.

"Well, Brown is the small cute one, right? Small like a Brownie." Shadow explained herself.

"Cute?" Smith repeated.

"Yes cute! He's cute!"

"This is what we put up with. Every. Single. Day." Squishy said.

"He's a writer. New York's best seller for a book on Agents." Shadow said.

Smith started paying attention.

"Really? Brown a writer...That seems right." Smith smiled.

"I forget what the book is called, but he talks about you very fondly. The book itself has caused a lot of arguing. How could an Agent write books, how could an Agent feel like they do. But everyone is still reading it." Shadow said.

Former Agent Brown was a writer. Smith remembered Brown, and it made perfect sense. He was always the more...observant quiet Agent. He probably knew much more than Smith ever gave him credit for.

"Where are those two now?" Smith asked.

"They live in New York." Glitch said.

"Yeah, they live together, Brown writes, and Jones is a producer."

"Those two, you could never separate them. After all, it really was just them two besides me." Smith said.

"I'll bring the book tomorrow for you." Shadow said.

"Hey Smith." Squishy asked.

"Yes?"

"She made me read it, and well...It says Brown and Jones went into Exile and found you." Squishy said.

Squishy looked and Shadow, and she looked away.

"What happened?" Squishy finally asked.

Smith frowned, and turned back to the television.

"I killed them. Copied them." Smith said.

And everyone was quiet for a moment.

"Brown didn't say that." Shadow said. "He wrote that 'Smith pushed us away, because just like before, he didn't need us. And it was black for a long time.' That's all he said."

That wasn't true. He killed them. Smith knew what he did. He looked them straight in the eye as the smiled at him, so happy that they found him. They were so proud of themselves surviving without him. They were so proud they were able to deal with those emotions in Exile. They were so happy. Brown was the one that jumped towards him, smiling, so happy to see their leader again.

Then Smith did it. He lunged his hand into Brown and copied him. Jones stood in horror, and attacked him in the anger Jones always kept inside. And then Jones was copied.

That was the first time, the first sign Smith was a virus.

Jones and Brown were the first to fall, and the first to become his copies.

"They would never forgive me." Smith said.

"They already have. They miss you, Smith." Shadow said.

Then it was black for a long time.

lllllllllllllllllllllll

Next Chapter: School Sucks

Just a little chapter on my friends and I at school. More of my friends will be introduced, and there will be a new kid.

And if Smith were real I wouldn't want him reading my stuff, Hugo yes, Smith no...


	4. School Day

School Sucks

"Bye Dad, see you at dinner." Shadow slammed the car door shut.

Four minutes before the final bell rang, she ran with her trench coat blowing in the wind towards her Homeroom. Good thing her homeroom was always close to where her dad parked. She ran into the classroom and sat down with everyone stared at her in her coat.

"You guys should be used to it by now." Shadow murmured to no one.

The morning announcements went by without anyone's notice, and the class waited until the fifteen minutes of homeroom would pass by. There was no purpose of homeroom, really just to let the kids that stayed up all night get awake. Fifteen minutes in a room, that's all it is.

"Class I would like to introduce you all to a new student." Mr. Boone gets up, or as he's more commonly known, Wage.

Fifteen minutes is all.

"Jonathon Andrews."

And in stepped a boy, that looked as if he had seen war itself and done nothing. His face seemed sad and pale, big brown eyes, and black spiked hair. He didn't say hi or anything he just stood in the front of the class where no one welcomed him. And took a seat across the class from Shadow. Something made her look over at him, maybe it was his name. But he looked back, and looked at her coat, and didn't give her one of those stares of disgust.

The fifteen minutes then passed.

The boy walked aimlessly staring at the yellow piece of paper that was his schedule sheet. He didn't ask anyone for help, but obviously needed it. He didn't bother though, in his all black clothes, looking across the open hallways.

"So what's your next class?" Shadow asked.

"What?" John looked up.

"Let me see!"

Shadow snatched his class schedule.

"Great, you got Science with me, the class is just down there." Shadow smiled.

"Oh." John was quiet. "Thanks." Then he started walking away. "Nice coat by the way."

He smiled and walked away. Shadow stood there for a moment, basking in the feeling of acceptance. Then someone knocked her down saying, "Agent lover."

lllllllllllllll

"Hey Squish." Shadow said opening her locker.

"Okay, I got it. Your combo is 1, 26, 11!" Squishy said.

"No..."

He'd been trying to get Shadow's combination for the past month.

"Damn it! Am I close?" Squish.

"No..."

Shadow sighed as she put her Science book in her locker, and took out her math. She hated math. She looked up into her locker and saw all her pictures of Smith, and the Agents. She smiled, and then saw her picture of Neo. She took a moment, and snatched it out of her locker.

"Hey can you put this in there?" Squishy said, holding up his art folder.

"Why don't you put it in your locker?" Shadow asked.

"Because I forgot my combination."

"Well why don't you go to the office and check for it?"

"Because I forgot what number my locker is."

"Oh Squishy!"

Shadow said, grabbing his folder and stuffing it in her locker.

Two periods down, Nutrition time, twenty minutes of pure free time. And they were going to go meet up with their friends by the tree in the lunch area.

"Pretty cold weather, huh?" Squishy said.

"Yeah, I love weather like this." Shadow said.

"That's just cause then you don't feel so hot in that coat!"

They laughed, entering the lunch area, and waving at their friends.

"Switch! Yuki!" Matt began to yell.

"Do you see Morph yet?"

"No."

"Good."

They sit by the tree across from the self proclaimed jocks who stare at Shadow, and laugh. Shadow doesn't really mind though, neither does anyone else.

It's a cloudy day, the days Shadow loves. The one good thing about the school was that it was open, the hallways were outside, the lockers were outside, the lunch area was outside. So all around there was fresh air. That's what they all loved about it.

"Hey you guys." Shadow said.

And Switch and Yuki waved. Yuki of course was Japanease and always seemed to have chop sticks in her hair. Switch was actually a relative of the original Switch from the Neb, she says Switch was her great Aunt, hence her name. She speaks very proudly of being a relative to one of the greats, and she has every right. Glitch is there for a change, usually he's at Diamond's class eating. Glitch had brought their friend Josh, who everyone calls Mouse because he's hyper and short like the original, though he hates Tastee Wheat.

"What's up?" Switch asked.

"Nothing." Squishy says.

No, they haven't told anyone about Smith.

"I did stuff! Hey I got this new comic, and I beat that game last night!" Josh yelled.

"Oh no..." Shadow said.

"Mouse, have you taken your pills today?" Glitch asked.

"...Maybe." Was his reply.

They all laughed.

"You guys want to come over today? We could go to my grandma's and swim." Switch said.

"Sorry, I can't." Shadow said. "Family dinner."

"Can't either, I'm grounded." Was Squishy's excuse.

"Aw, come one you guys! You're never free!" Yuki yelled.

"I'm sorry!" Shadow yelled.

"I can come!" Josh yelled.

Shadow smiled, as they finally sat down, and Squishy sat next to her. She nudged him in the arm.

"Smith swimming." She whispered.

And Squishy laughed.

"Wait. What if Smith can't swim? I mean he never has before." Squishy said.

"Of course he can swim!" Shadow yelled.

"But why would an Agent need to be able to swim?"

"You guys talking about Smith again?" Yuki asked.

"If he can dodge bullets, he can swim!" Shadow said.

"That'd be funny! Help, Mr. Anderson! I can't swim, gurgle..." Squishy said.

And even Shadow laughed, and in the back of her mind she thought, oh if only Smith knew. There are things even they keep secret from him. If he knew, they knew he'd totally kill them.

"Have you seen Spider-man 2 yet?" Glitch asked Squishy.

"...No." He said.

And Shadow punched him.

"What was that for!?" Squishy yelled.

"For not seeing Spider-man 2! I've seen five times already!" Shadow yelled.

"Well I'm not a comic geek like you."

"Hey Shadow, Smith with Ock's arms." Switch smiled.

"Oh, my, God, that'd be so Rad. Grab Neo by the foot. 'What's that? Hit him again, ok!'"

They all laughed. An amusing thought, Shadow would have to tell Smith that one, it was too good to pass off.

"Who'd win, Ock or Smith?" Yuki asked.

"Smith! But Otto would put up a good fight." Shadow said.

"Yeah." Glitch said.

"It's all about that Doctor and his arms!" Squishy yelled.

"That's a cool thing for someone who hasn't even seen the movie to say!" Shadow hit him again. "Plus you copied that from me!"

"So what? You an Ock fangirl now?" Squishy asked.

"No! I mean...No! Ock reminds me of Smith the whole angst thing you know." Shadow said.

"Whatever!" Glitch said.

Then the laughing stopped, as Yuki started sharing some of her rice with everyone. It was then that Shadow saw him. The new kid, Thomas standing there, looking even more lost, and still not bothering to ask anyone.

"Dude, I want to see Smith without his shoes on." Shadow said.

"Why would you want that?" Squishy sighed.

"Because his shoes are so noticeable..."

"Hey, are Smith's socks black?" Glitch asked.

The three looked at each other.

"I don't know..." Was Shadow's shocked answer.

"You never see him with his socks showing..." Switch said.

"Yeah, but I don' t know!" Shadow yelled.

The Smith lover didn't know. The Smith lover that was going to go hang out with Smith right after today didn't know what color his socks were. It was true panic between the three of them.

"What's a better question are what color his boxers are!" Yuki yelled, looking at Shadow.

"Ew!" Glitch yelled.

"Why do you people speak such things around me!" Squishy yelled.

It was putting bad images in Squishy's head, it's easier when you see Smith ever day.

"Oh, my god, I don't know!" Shadow yelled. "Squishy!" Shadow leaned over to him. "You ask Smith what colors his boxers are." She whispered to him.

"Why me!?"

"Because, I have too much dignity to ask him!" Shadow then hit Squishy.

"How do you know they're boxers?" Glitch asked.

"Glitch!" Shadow hit him too.

This is what they do. Hitting each other is merely the teenager's way to show affection. It's what they do. Plus if you scratch Squishy's back he goes crazy, he says it hurts, Glitch says it tickles. Shadow doesn't care, it makes Squishy obey her.

"Hey, Agent Bitch!" Someone called towards Shadow.

She didn't answer, acted like it never happened, because it happens all the time.

"Hey look, it's the new kid." Shadow said.

"New kid?" Glitch asked.

"Yeah, he's in my homeroom. Hey new kid!" Shadow waved.

Slowly the boy looked up, he didn't smile or anything, he just came quietly over.

"Hi, John!" Shadow said. "This is Squishy, Glitch, Josh, Switch, and Yuki. Oh and I'm Shadow."

Tom looked at them, nodding to each one of them, and slowly he sat down.

"So tell me, John, what brings you here?" Yuki asked.

"John, like Neo's dad." Shadow whispered to Squishy.

"Well I... I just moved here from Central City, not too far away." He said quietly.

"What are you into?" Squishy asked.

"Computers." And he smiled for the first time. "And Xbox."

"Xbox!" Squishy yelled, he loved Xbox.

"I don't mean to be rude, but what's with the trench coat?" Tom asked.

"That's just Shadow." Switch said.

Shadow smiled.

"Shadow at your service, sir, I'm and Agent expert!" She said with a smile.

"Agents huh, they're cool." Tom said.

"I like him already!" Shadow yelled.

"So you're still twelve right, John? What's your Matrix name going to be?" Switch asked.

"I don't know yet..." Was all he said.

"Agent Wannabe!" Shadow didn't even nudge.

Then the bell rang, and Switch and Yuki started running, because their class was on the other side of the school. And all the sixth graders ran around in chaos, and the eight graders walk calmly, as if they're not going to be late. It's a big change, like the Matrix itself. 2,400 kids going from one place to the next

"So what's your next class?" Shadow asked.

"Math, room 81." John said.

"My class!" Shadow said.

Then she was pushed down again. She got up, and looked at the boys that had pushed her.

"Hey, stay away from those people." Shadow said.

"Why?" John asked.

"Because they're stupid stinky viruses." Was Shadow's answer.

It was off to an hour of math, and an hour of P.E. Then at lunch Thomas sat with them, and really saw the extent of...Shadow's obsession. He actually smiled, and actually talked to Squishy about Xbox games like Halo.

He was welcomed into the group, into the ship.

And another two hours past until school is finally over. Another two hours of people staring at her, muttering "agent lover," as if it's an insult. Another two hours of teachers staring at her as well, wishing she wasn't such a good student so they could report her obsession as a problem.

More mindless teachers that Shadow doesn't really care about. She doesn't see the purpose in taking English class when she a writer. She tried to explain this to her teacher, but she wouldn't listen.

Whatever, that's how it is.

Two more hours of not listening and drawing doodles of Smith and Neo, trying to see if she could draw Smith with Doctor Octopus's arms before the end of class so she could show him.

She didn't feel bad not telling anyone about him. After all if she did, he would be killed on the spot. Agents would come and kill him. Besides only Glitch and Squishy understand.

Then finally the bell rings.

"Free at last!" Squishy yells.

"Yeah, and with no homework once again!" Shadow teases.

"Damn it! How do you do that?" Glitch asked.

"I do it in class." Was her simple reply.

"Hey look, it's John! Bye John!" Glitch said.

"Moo!" Squishy waved.

John watched as the three started walking away from the busses, away from the school, down to a place no one went to anymore. It was gone, nothing was over there. Maybe a dump or two. He wondered where his new friends were going.

"So you going to ask Smith about the boxers?" Shadow asked Squishy.

"No!" Squishy yelled.

"Just do it!"

"No way!"

"Do it!"

"No!"

"Do it!"

"...okay..." Squishy frowned.

lllllllllllllll

Next Chapter: You Can't Tell

Yup, those are all my friends That's my school. Matt does use my locker, Josh does need to take pills. Matt loves Xbox, if you do scratch his back he freaks out for some reason. Most of this is true. Oh and the Smith with Ock's arms really happened, and the socks and boxers which happened today.

I have been dubbed "Matrix girl" by those who don't know me at school.


	5. You Can't Tell

You Can't Tell

"See anything?" Squishy yells.

"Junk! Junk! Oh, and Junk!" Shadow yells.

"I found something!" Glitch yells, pulling it out. "I think it'll fit in the TV!"

"Good, come on, we're going to be late!" Shadow yells.

They're at the junk yard close to the apartment. They come there now and then to look for stuff to give to Smith, he seems very pleased. Shadow starts to run ahead of them, stumbling on her coat.

"Wait, this thing is heavy!" Glitch yells, dragging whatever it is.

"Come on!" Shadow whines.

"Glitch, give it to me." Squishy grabs it. "This isn't heavy!"

"I know!"

Then Glitch starts running, and leaves Squishy with it, laughing. Shadow and Glitch start running and leaving Squishy behind. It's about two blocks to the apartment, they've dubbed "The Source." Two blocks from Smith. Just two blocks.

And the people watch as the two kids run by, as if they really need to hurry, and the one in the trench coat. And then they see the third one, carrying something. Such a strange sight, kids these days.

"Guys, wait up!" Squishy yells.

"Quick run faster!" Shadow says.

"Aw come on!"

Run through the crowds. Keep running in their black clothes, like they're rebels already, like they've fought in the war, as if they make a difference. Run through the crowds, of people in suits, going to work, not imitating Agents. Run through them, push the aside, and keep running. Run as if you're running for your life, run like an Agent is running after you. Run, just like in Shadow's stories.

Run like you're about to fly.

Then just keep flying.

Shadow laughed.

"You guys are slow!"

Then she started running faster, towards Smith. Run into the building, through the door that isn't there, go down the stairs to the basement. Shadow jumped the last few stairs, and started panting.

And she saw Smith, lounging on his red couch, watching TV!

"You fixed it..." Shadow said.

"Indeed I did." Smith smiled at himself.

Shadow stared at it for a moment, then Glitch came in, and she pointed at the working TV.

"Great..." Glitch mumbled.

Then Squishy came panting, and dropping whatever Glitch though would help the TV, and saw it was working.

"Aw, God dammit!" Squishy yelled.

"What? I fixed it!" Smith said.

"Never mind." Squishy sat down next to him.

"I've been watching it all day. Very fascinating, broadcasts from the Real World. They would need machine help to do that." Smith studies.

"This is boring! Let's watch MTV!" Glitch yelled.

"Everything is boring to you!" Squishy pushed him.

"No! Go to that movie premiere station!" Shadow yelled lunging for Smith and the remote.

"I fixed it, my TV!" Smith yelled, holding up the remote out of the reach of the little children.

"But, Smith!" Shadow whined.

"No! I want to see a Sentinel for the first time in 56 years!" Smith declared.

And of course this task would only be fulfilled by watching the news. Smith was excited to see the machines outside, the machines that made him, the machines that made this world, the machines that turned their backs on him, and tried to kill him.

"But Smith, you don't get it!" Shadow said, jumping for the remote.

"Enlighten me, little girl." Smith smirked.

Shadow stopped jumping, and gave Smith a smut look.

"They're going to make a movie with you!" Shadow pointed at him.

They all stopped.

"Me?" Smith asked.

"Yeah! About the war, about Neo. Like a kick ass documentary." Shadow said.

"Why didn't you tell us that before!?" Squishy yelled.

"It was supposed to be a surprise!" Shadow said.

"Wait, a movie, with me?" Smith looked at her. "That's like having a movie with Hitler as the star!"

Shadow smiled.

"You're much nicer than Hitler." She said.

"Still." Smith looked away.

"Whose going to be Smith?" Glitch asked.

"Some guy, named Hugo Weaving. He's Australian." Shadow said, sitting down, casually.

"Who?"

"Uh...that guy...in Lord of the Rings! The elf lord...guy...red dress thing...tiara." Shadow tried to explain.

"Elrond! He's so cool!" Squishy said.

"You geek, I can't believe you've read those books." Glitch said.

"Hey, they're really cool!" Squishy said.

"Then why did I fall asleep reading one?" Glitch smiled.

"The person playing me, is an elf lord?" Smith asked, rather sadly.

"And a gay cross dresser!" Shadow smiled. "But that was a good movie. He's got kids and stuff though."

Smith sighed, and started shaking his head. What had his reign of destruction come to? He ruled the entire Matrix for one night. And now, this.

"Whose going to be my Mr. Anderson?" Smith mumbled, "Not that I really want to know..."

"Keanu Reeves." Shadow smiled.

"You mean the 'Speed' guy?" Squishy asked.

"Yeah."

"He doesn't look like Neo!" Glitch yelled.

"No, Gino! The guy from the first 'Speed!' The sequels they got that crappy guy." Squishy yelled him.

"Hugo Weaving, and Keanu Reeves...Hm... Mr. Weaving...Mr. Reeves, it is a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance." Smith played with their names.

"Hugo looks a lot like you, though Smith. You know he just needs to cut his hair, and comb it. Maybe he's a surviving copy! With kids! Smith you have kids!" Shadow said.

"And how do you know this, little Shadow?" Smith looked at her.

"Because I stay up til' 2 am on the internet." She smiled.

"You know that's unhealthy, humans need a balance within their lives to keep stable." Smith told her.

"Uh-huh."

Shadow sat next to Smith, while rustling in her back pack. Smith watched her, while Squishy was trying to get the courage to ask Smith the question. Not a question, the question.

"Mr. Weaving, as you can see, I've been keeping an eye on you..." Smith smiled.

"Why Mr. Weaving? Why, why? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep acting! Is it for money, or fame, or could it be for ego?" Shadow laughed.

Smith smiled, and pushed the little Shadow.

"Oh, the Irony, I won't be getting any money for this." Smith said.

"What do you need money for? You don't eat or anything." Squishy said.

"Doesn't mean I don't want my Audi back. My nice, sleek, black Audi." Smith frowned, missing his ride.

"Smith on the road, watch your ass." Glitch said, dramatically.

"Rollin' rollin' rollin'!" Squishy laughed.

Smith laughed, as Shadow rustled through her back pack. Then she jumped, and grabbed Smith's leg, and pulled up his pants.

"What are you doing!?" Smith yelled, getting up, with her still on his leg.

"They're black!" Shadow yelled.

"Excuse me?" Smith asked.

"We had a little convertsation about your socks." Glitch said.

"Among other things." Shadow looked at Squishy.

"You could have just asked." Smith said.

"But this is more fun!" Shadow said, gripping his leg. "Nice shoes." She said too. "Hm, come to think of it, we haven't seen you without that jacket on."

"Yes you have!" Smith yelled.

"I mean, like a short sleeved shirt!"

Smith stared at her for a moment.

"Get of my leg..." He told her.

lllllllllll

"Mr. Weaving..." Shadow said, grabbing a book. "Here you go, Smithie, Brown's book. Told you I'd get it for you."

Smith grabbed the book rather gently. The first thing Smith noticed was it was a rather thick book. Probably filled with small details, and things that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Brown always did that. He saw so much in what didn't need to be seen.

"Suits," was the title with three men in suits, without their facing shown as the cover.

It made Smith smile.

"Brown, you little creative bastard." Smith laughed.

"I shall follow in his footsteps!" Shadow declared.

"And I will follow you, following in his footsteps!" Squishy declared.

"And I will be over there, pretending I don't know you people!" Glitch declared.

Squishy returned the comment with a hit.

Smith ignored the little children for a moment, flipping through Brown's book.

"He's got a chapter on you, you know." Shadow said, leaning towards Smith.

"One for you, and one for Jones, one for the other three Agents too." Glitch told him.

"Really?" Smith looked up.

"Poor Brownie, he's as Angsty as you." Shadow frowned.

"I know..." Smith said.

Smith opened up to prologue briefly.

"My name is Agent Brown, I have done horrible things, and seen horrible things. I have done things I was never meant to do. For instance, don't call me Agent Brown, my name is,"

"John!"

Smith stopped reading, and looked up.

"John, it's not how it looks!" Shadow yelled at him.

"Get out, John!" Squishy yelled.

"Oh god!" was all Glitch could say.

"No..." Smith whispered.

And there stood a boy, named John Andrews. In all his black clothes, brown eyes, and blacked spiked hair. A boy that had seen too much, and knew too much for his own good. A boy that was staring at Smith, with anger, fear, and hatred.

It was then John made a fist.

Shadow ran to John, right in front of him, blocking his view from Smith. She looked at him, pleading him not to scream, not to say anything.

"John, it's different! It's different!" Shadow yelled.

Smith stood up, and lowered his head, and he looked like an Agent all over again. And he stared at the boy, this Mr. Andrews, and Mr. Andrews stared at him.

"Shadow...That's Agent Smith." John looked at her, and backed away to the wall, his fists raised.

"John, you don't understand. It's different! He's changed!" Shadow said.

"He's Agent Smith!" John yelled.

"We found him here, John! He couldn't even get up! He didn't remember a thing! He's different now!" Shadow tried to explain.

Squishy and Glitch stood by Smith, as Smith stared at the boy.

"That doesn't change the fact, he's Agent Smith, and he was going to kill us all!" John yelled.

Shadow started to tear up.

What if he screamed? What if he yelled, and ran away. Told his parents, told the police, the news. It'd be in the Real World by that night. Agents would come for him. He'd be dead before they could think.

She pushed John into the wall, grabbing onto his shoulder.

John Andrews followed them there, to this place where they hid Smith.

"You can't tell! You can't tell, John!" Shadow yelled.

"Shadow..." John looked away.

"John, look at me! They'll kill him! They'll kill him!"

"He's Smith, he's supposed to be dead!"

"It's different now! I swear to God it's different now! You can't tell, John!"

John looked over at Smith, who now stood and stared just as an Agent would. Except Smith was now pushing Squishy and Glitch behind him, as if protecting the two of them. Smith looked down at the two of them, and looked as if he was saying "It'll be okay."

John looked at Shadow, the little Agent lover, now crying for this Agent Smith. Agent Smith, the mass villain. Agent Smith, the protector of three little kids like him.

John stared at Smith, with those blue eyes, realizing he didn't have his glasses on.

"Be careful." Was all John said.

"You can't tell!" Shadow still yelled.

"I won't. I'm going to go now."

"Thank you, John." Smith said.

John looked over at Smith, and turned, hatred still in his eyes.

He left like that, silently. Shadow looked over at Smith, wiping her tears.

"I don't like him." Smith said.

"He's not going to tell..." Glitch said.

"No, it's different...I just don't like him." Smith said.

Smith looked away, something about that kid, something...familiar.

"You should go." Smith told them.

llllllllll

The bell ran, it was time sixth period. John was putting his books in his locker, he hadn't seen Shadow all day, he'd been avoiding her really. He closed his locker door, and saw her right there.

"You can't tell anyone." Shadow looked at him, sadly.

"I won't." John said, and walked away.

llllllllll

Next Chapter: Sleep Over

Have no fear my friends! Smith, Jones and Brown will meet together soon enough! Among other Agents, and friends...

FYI: Smith's socks are black, if you look in the Burely Brawl in Reloaded, there's a bunch of Smiths bending down or something to reveal that.


	6. Sleep Over

Sleep Over

"Hey there, Smith-girl, how you doing?"

"Heya fellas." Shadow smiles.

They're eight graders, and they're very tall. They also must have low self-esteem, coming to her to mock, merely to make themselves feel better. At least Shadow knew that.

"How are the Agents this fine day?" The one on the right asks.

"I'm sure they're doing just great." Shadow smiles. "You know, chasing Rebels and all. You do know what Agents do don't you? When they chase you?"

"Well, I think you're going to tell us, aren't you?" The one on the left grins.

"Well, you're running down a hallway...you can hear the phone ringing, calling you, ready to take you home, put you back to breath real air, and touch real life. Soon you'll wake up, and be able to go to your uncomfortable bed. It's not that comfy, but it's yours. You thought you wouldn't make it, but you are. Just have to open the door... Then you hear a gunshot. And it takes you a moment to feel the pain in your chest. He only shoots you once. He likes watching you die...He likes watching you...try to cling on to a meaningless life. And you stare at the Agent, searching for emotion, anything, before you fall to the ground. And finally, the Agent looks at you, and smiles. Then you know what? You die, either by shock, or drowning in your own blood." Shadow smiles.

And the eight graders just stare at her for a moment. Then they stuff Shadow into the trash can.

"Thanks a lot guys, for just standing there!" Shadow yells.

"You okay?" Squishy looks down at her.

"For once, I thought it would pay to be an Angst writer." Shadow said sadly.

"Dude, those guys were freaked out!" Glitch smiles.

"...Get me out, please."

They pull her out gently, wiping off the trash. Shadow picks up her backpack, and walks off in front of the boys. She's heading towards Smith.

"So you guys going to stay over tonight?" Shadow asks.

"Can't." Squishy says.

"Sorry." Glitch says.

"Looks like it's just you and Smith." Squishy grins.

"Now you can stare at him without him noticing." Glitch grins.

"Okay, one, Smith doesn't sleep all the time, two." Shadow punches Squishy in the arm.

"Ow!"

You see, Squishy has a strict policing of no hitting girls. So when Shadow hits him, he takes his rage out on the nearest object...or person. And Glitch was standing right there.

"Ow!" Glitch yelled, rubbing his arm.

"Have you seen John, you guys? I'm real worried." Shadow says.

"Nope." Squishy says.

"But he hasn't told anyone, I mean, Agents would've come already." Glitch says.

"I know...I'm just saying."

"Just leave him alone, and he will leave us alone." Squishy says.

It was Friday, there was no homework. Maybe some Math, that Squishy will never do. And a Map Project due in tow weeks, plenty of time for Glitch. It's the weekend, two days of nothing. Two days of drawing, two days of writing.

Two days of Smith.

"Okay, my parents think I'm at your house, Glitch. So if they call you know what to do." Shadow says.

"Gotcha." Glitch gives her a thumbs up.

It's a sleep over.

"How come you're never at my house?" Squishy asked.

"Because you don't have room for me, and Glitch lives closer." Shadow smiles.

"Ha ha." Glitch points.

They started walking down the sidewalks past the school, the same route they always did.

"Shut up." Squishy glared at Glitch.

"Hey are you guys brining the video games?" Shadow turned to them.

"Halo!" Squishy yelled.

"Yeah I got the PS2." Glitch smiled.

"Halo!"

"Great, I got Enter the Matrix." Shadow gestured to her backpack.

"Halo!"

"Shut up!"

"I like Halo!" Squishy yelled.

"We know." Glitch sighed.

"Do you Glitch? Do you?"

"Yes!"

Shadow laughed at the boys.

"Hey, Matt." Shadow teased.

"My name is Squishy!" He yelled at her.

"You need to get Smith to say your name again. He sounds funny when he says it." Shadow smiled.

Squishy stared at her.

"At least it's better than Mucci!" Squishy turned to Glitch.

"No it's not." Glitch shook his head.

"I know..." Squishy lowered his head.

There they were. Three kids walking among the streets with adults in suits, adults with their own business, wondering what three kids were doing here walking with them. Especially the one in the trench coat.

They were careful going into their little apartment with Smith, pretending they were Rebels hiding from Agents, they turned corners and went through the partly opened doors and windows. Down the stairs and so forth. The method had become second nature.

"Smithie!" Shadow yelled jumping down the stairs.

"Hello there, Ms. Shadow." Smith waved, sitting on the couch.

"Hey Smith." Squishy said.

Glitch just waved and they all threw their back packs onto the floor.

Smith sat casually, resting his feet on the couch. He smiled and raised his foot.

"See, black." Smith said.

And there he was, his shoes off in the corner.

"Smith, please stop waving your foot at us." Glitch said.

Shadow smiled for a moment, and then jumped onto Smith, grabbing his leg.

"Ah! Get her off me! Get her off me!" Smith jumped up off the couch, Shadow grabbing his leg.

The boys started laughing.

"Shadow, get off me!" Smith yelled.

"No!" Shadow grabbed his leg tighter.

"Wait! Wait. I know what to do in such occasions." Squishy said smiling.

Glitch smiled. And Squishy walked casually over to Shadow, as if he were an Agent, enjoying the look on the human before it dies. Shadow hated when he got that look. It meant this would be one of the few moments Squishy would hurt her. Shadow whined, as she tightened her grip on Smith's leg.

Squishy smiled as he leaned down next to Shadow.

"Hello there Shadow." Squishy said.

"Aw, crap." Shadow whispered.

"Squishy please hurry, I can't feel my leg." Smith said, casually.

"Gotcha." Squishy nodded.

Then he looked at Shadow, and smiled. And proceeded to tickle her in the ribs. Shadow thrashed around on the floor, rolling around trying to get him to stop. Until she inevitably let go of Smith's leg and rolled into the wall.

"Oh god!" She laughed. "It hurts...It burns my lungs..." She laughed.

Then she just laid there for a while, not moving.

"Well, good job Squish, you killed her. You tickled her to death." Glitch said, sitting on the couch.

"Aw cool." Squishy laughed.

"That was a strange reaction." Smith said.

"She's really ticklish is all." Squishy smiled.

"Are you ticklish Smith!?" Shadow jumped up all of the sudden.

Smith sat onto the couch, taking his time to recall if he ever experienced such a thing as a tickle.

"I don't believe so." Smith answered.

Shadow then poked Smith in the ribs.

"Ow!" Smith said.

Then she poked him again.

"Ow!"

"No he's not ticklish." She laughed.

"That hurt." Smith said, looking at her.

"Suck it up, I take it all the time." Squishy said.

Shadow gestured at Glitch with her eyes, and he nodded smiling an evil smiling. That's when Glitch carefully crept up to Squishy. And Shadow jumped in front of him, smiling, then poked him in the ribs, and Glitch scratched him in the back.

That's when he fell to the floor, spazzing out as Shadow explained it.

llllllllllllll

"So you'll be here at eleven?" Smith asked the boys.

"Yup." Glitch said.

"We'll hang out and have Halo!" Squishy yelled.

"We'll play Enter the Matrix, and go to the Smith level. Or you could Morpheus and I'll be you, and we'll fight." Shadow laughed, sitting next to Smith.

"I am not going to be Morpheus." He said strongly. "Can't I be Neo?"

"No...He's not in it. You could be Trinity though!" Shadow smiled.

"All right guys, we have to go. We'll be late for the bus." Squishy said, grabbing his Backpack.

"Bye, Shadow! Take care of Smith!" Glitch ran up the stares.

"Moo!" Squishy followed him.

And then they were gone. And they wouldn't be back until eleven tomorrow morning. It was just Shadow and Smith and a TV. Smith and his biggest fan, in one of those trench coats.

"Well...Ms. Catt it is just you and me now." Smith smiled at her.

"Wanna play Spin the bottle?" Shadow laughed, leaning on Smith's arm.

Smith laughed, and pushed her on her head like he always did. She just fell back on him and his arm, and he let her.

"What should we watch for the time being?" Smith asked, giving her the remote.

"Well... How about Jackass?" Shadow asked.

"I don't think I'll like that." Smith said.

Shadow laughed.

"Fine we'll watch Futurama or something." Shadow smiled.

It took a while for Shadow to explain what anime, and all these late night shows were about, but Smith seemed to get the general idea, though much preferred the movies on HBO. Anime was too... different. Smith shuddered to think of anime Agents, but it only made Shadow laugh.

Shadow would turn to Smith though. It was one of the few moments, when the boys were gone, and it was okay to start talking about stuff too deep for them. They wouldn't understand. And even if they did, she didn't want them to. They were boys. Stupid Boys.

And she...she was a writer, meeting her fandom. What more could she do, but ask some questions.

"Smith, do you dream?" Shadow asked.

"Well that came from nowhere." Smith looked away.

"Well, you know, I couldn't wait much longer."

Smith rested his head on his hand, looking away from Shadow, slightly watching the television.

"I worry about you, you know. You and dreams, I just..." Shadow started.

She's just a child. They're all just children. They shouldn't be caught up in all this. They should have never found him. They should have never helped him. They should have run away screaming, and never spoke of him again. They're just children.

It shouldn't be like this. But he's thankful it is.

She's just a child, but she's the only one that is willing to listen.

"I can never tell what is a dream, and what is a memory, Shadow."

Shadow turned at him.

"You humans know so little of what really happened. When I sleep, I dream. And I dream of rain, and light. I see Neo... And we're fighting. The rain is so soothing... And I can't help but feel the entire time, like I there was something I was supposed to say..."

"You could always tell us, Smith..."

Smith smiles.

"No, I couldn't do that to you." He said.

And a few hours later. After an anime show, and a Conan O' Brian skit, and some deep conversations, the little Shadow was a sleep. Smith placed her onto the bed in the corner, where he barely ever slept. He didn't like sleep because of the dreams. Disordered fragments of memories and what could be memories. Things that happened, and things that probably never happened. He dreams of so many deaths. But he can't remember any of it.

The dreams were reminding him of someone he didn't want to know.

This was all he had left. A little child and her friends, and a television. This was it. This was all he had left, after having ruled the world.

And it was enough. Because he couldn't even remember having the world. He only remembered having nothing, lying there on the floor. This was all he had. This is all he could ever have now, after all he's done.

She's just a child. They're all just children. And yet they stay with him, and tend to him. Yet they keep coming back to him. She's just a child, she would never understand any of this, even if she has written it before.

Just children.

And Smith was still Smith, no matter how many times he smiled. He would sit there, and watch her sleep, trying to forget the screams of people he hurt. He can barely remember them, they come in dreams, not knowing if they are real. The children tell him what happened, they have documentaries and videos on what happened that night. They show him pictures of him flying through the air, and standing beside his copies, lost in the mirror faces. They show him so much, and he wishes they didn't. But it doesn't matter. They're only pictures, he can't remember it. A picture doesn't have a thousand words if you can't understand it.

This was Smith, and he couldn't let the children know, and he couldn't let them leave him here alone again.

They were children, but they were the only ones that cared about him. And no matter what Shadow said, no matter how many dreams she had of him going to the Rebels, going to the Council, and becoming an ally, they would never come true. Not after everything he did, even if he can't remember it.

He didn't say anything though. They were children, he couldn't just let them down.

But he couldn't allow them to be hurt.

"Wake up, Shadow..."

He always suspected this would happen. He never spoke it with the kids. They did talk about it, just never thought it would happen. That seems to be human nature. But he knew this would happen. It was only a matter of time. It was only a matter of how many dreams he had, and how many memories came back. How much stronger he got.

It was inevitable.

And he was so sorry, he couldn't be there anymore, and he couldn't say goodbye.

"Smith?" Shadow opened one of her eyes.

"They won't look for you, if they don't know you're here." Smith said.

Smith started grabbing all Shadow's possessions and hiding them, pushing them under the bed and behind the bookshelf. He grabbed her backpack, and pulled her up by the arm.

"They won't even know you're here."

"Smith, what are you talking about?" Shadow sounded scared.

"Everything will be okay, I promise. Just stay here no matter what."

He stared at her with those blue eyes, and she couldn't say no. Smith pushed Shadow underneath the bed, and she couldn't understand why as she crawled into the corner. She covered her mouth, breathing deeper, trying to understand what was happening. Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Something was wrong.

And then it hit her.

"Smith!" She called out.

"They won't look for you, they wouldn't even imagine someone like you was here." He told her, standing near the bed.

"No, Smith! Run! Run!"

"Where would I run to? Now be quiet, they're close."

"Smith..."

Shadow couldn't move. She's never even seen one, she's seen pictures, drawn pictures of them. But she never....She never even wanted to ever see one.

This was her fault. She always told Smith it would be okay. She always told him they would never find him here. It was safe...It was safe... Why didn't she know better? Her, the Agent freak. Why didn't she realize this would happen?

She closed her eyes, and turned her head side ways to look out. She saw Smith and his shiny shoes, standing there by the couch.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Mr. Smith, isn't it a surprised to see you."

Shadow put her hand over her mouth again.

And Smith smiled at what he saw, slowly sitting down on the couch and crossing his legs.

"Johnson, right? I don't really remember you, but the face is familiar." Smith smiled.

"Mr. Smith, have you really forgotten about us?" Johnson gestured to Jackson and Thompson.

"Well, there wasn't much to remember."

Johnson frowned.

"I always knew you were alive, Smith. I could...feel you, your prescience..." Johnson spoke slowly.

"Then you're aware of it." Smith held back a laugh.

"Aware of what?"

"Our connection." Smith laughed a little, at himself.

"Well, well, Mr. Smith, is that a laugh?" Johnson titled his head.

"I've learned a lot since we last saw each other...Johnson."

Shadow could see it. Four pairs of those Agent shoes. Four of them, and she kept holding her mouth shut, because she was about to cry.

"Now, Mr. Smith are you going to come with us quietly?" Johnson asked.

Smith smiled.

"No, I haven't thrown a good punch in a long time."

Shadow began to cry, and Smith was sorry he wasn't going to be there.

Smith slowly stood up before the Agents. Thompson titled his head at Smith.

"Hey look it's Brown!" Smith pointed and Thompson.

Johnson and Jackson turned their heads toward Thompson for a moment, wondering what Smith meant.

Then Johnson threw the first punch.

It was amazing how quickly it all came back to him. Suddenly Smith knew Kung-fu, and how to dodge bullets. Quickly his Agent speed came back. Quickly memories of such fighting returned. He remembered fighting like this, fighting so many times like this.

Too bad he didn't have much of his strength back.

The three Agents whose names started to come back to him, soon surrounded him. And he fell to the floor.

He knew it wasn't any use, he knew he couldn't fight them. He knew there wasn't any trying. But Mr. Anderson always seem to fight when there was no hope, why not he?

Then Smith closed his eyes, knowing he would wake up either dead, or in some kind of small room.

Johnson stood above Smith, and slowly kicked him in the chest, making sure he wasn't just pretending. Johnson looked at the others surprised at how easy that was done.

And Shadow laid there, staring at Smith on the floor.

That's when they started to drag him away.

Llllllllllll

Next Chapter: They Took Him

Sorry for the last chapter, if you were confused, I wrote it really late in the night, and I was freaking out because I had a history test.


	7. They Took Him

"Look! It's Halo!" Squishy jumped up and down.

Glitch sighed, as he stared at the floor, trying to ignore his friend.

"Halo! Halo!"

Squishy waved his Halo game near Glitch's face. Glitch only lowered his head, and cradled the PS2 that was in his arms. Squishy smiled, and started to smother his Halo Game.

"Truly this is my purpose in life." Squishy smiled.

Glitch stared at him.

"PS2 is better." Glitch said.

"Yeah right, sure."

"It is!" Glitch said.

"No, really, I believe you." Squishy rolled his eyes.

"Hmph." Glitch said, cradling his PS2.

Glitch was tempted to push Squishy as they began to walk down the stairs, but decided not to, since that would mean endangering his PS2. Squishy meanwhile began to copy Glitch and held his Halo game with care. Glitch turned.

"I hope Smith likes the games I brought." Glitch says.

"What did you bring?"

"Rachet and Clank, both of them, and some other stuff with Kung-Fu."

"Dude, I bet I could beat him in Halo."

"Urgh."

They continue to argue, stepping down the last few steps. Knowing they'd soon be welcomed by a bouncing Shadow, explaining an overwhelmed Smith how to beat Enter the Matrix. And Shadow would say PS2 rocks, but Halo rocks out loud, and so Squishy will jump in victory.

Of course that's not what they saw.

Shadow lay in the corner on the bed, crying.

"Oh my God." Squishy whispered.

"What they hell happened!?" Glitch yelled.

Shadow started to wipe her tears, she hated looking so weak in front of them, looking as if it was really all to much, as if she was just some little girl. Glitch ran over to her, placing the PS2 on the bed.

It was Squishy that first realized Smith wasn't there.

"Where's Smith, Shadow?" Squishy shook his head, walking over to her.

Shadow hid her eyes in her arms, trying to stop.

"Where's Smith!?" Squishy yelled.

Shadow put her hands over her ears.

"Squishy!" Glitch yelled at him.

"They took him!" Shadow yelled.

The two looked at her.

"They took him! They came in here and took him!" Shadow screamed.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Squishy yelled at her.

Shadow screamed in frustration and retreated back into her arms.

"Agents! Matt! Agents came and took him!" She yelled at him.

Squishy didn't say much, he just looked at her, biting his lip. He started playing with his hands, grabbing his shirt and putting his hands in his pocket. While Glitch sat there, next to Shadow, not sure really want to do.

"They took him...They took him. He didn't run away, why didn't he run away?" Shadow mumbled through her arms.

"When did this happen?" Glitch finally spoke.

"Last night, they just came... I don't know how... Smith told me to hide, and well, I did..." She wiped her tears.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Glitch said.

Shadow continued to cry. Squishy was left staring at her, and everything else, left untouched by the Agents. It's as if they were never here. It's as if Smith just...went out into the open. Maybe he went to get coffee, or something like that. Maybe he'll be walking down the stairs any minute.

But Shadow never cries, at least not in front of them. She can't even fake cry. It was strange watching her. It's strange watching anyone cry. You don't know what to do.

She just wouldn't stop.

"Stop crying!" Squishy yelled.

"Shut up, Matt!" She yelled. "You just shut up!" She pointed at him.

"She's right, Squish." Glitch said quietly.

"He's gone! Just stop! Stop crying!" Squishy yelled at her.

"He is gone! That's why I'm crying you fucking bastard!"

"Angst Bitch!"

"You guys, shut the hell up!" Glitch told them.

Shadow was left, looking at Squishy with a stare that matched Smith's. He hated that. He hated looking at her, and seeing him. He hated looking at her, and being reminded of him. So he looked away.

He's gone. He's gone, he's really gone.

They always feared it. They knew it would happen, maybe. But they denied it. They told him it was safe. They told him he would always be safe, he would never feel the pain he felt long ago.

How could they lie to him?

"What the hell do we do now?" Glitch whispered.

"We have to get out of here now. Get rid of all these pictures of us, get rid of it all, in case the Agents come back." Squishy said shakily.

"What about, Smith!?" Shadow yelled.

Squishy lowered his head.

"He's probably dead." He said.

"Shut up, Matt! Don't even say that!" Shadow yelled.

"My name is Squishy! And he's dead! I bet he is! Agents found him, and now he's dead!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Shadow yelled.

"No matter how much we want it to happen! No matter how much we wish it! It doesn't change a thing! Agents came and took him away, and now he's probably dead!" Squishy yelled.

Shadow laid back on the wall.

"You're wrong. You're wrong. He's not dead. They would've shot him here, right in front of me if they wanted him dead now. They would've shot him, that's how they are. They get a mission, and they fulfill it as soon as possible. He would be lying there on the floor right now, if they wanted him dead." Shadow whispered, calmly.

"Then they shot him in the street." Squishy said.

"No. They wouldn't let him off so easily. They'd interigate him, ask him how he has been able to survive so long, how he became a Virus, what he has been doing all this time, if he knows anything about Neo...Then....Then they'll shoot him, and he'll be dead. But that won't be for a long time."

Squishy turned his head away from her.

"Then we got to save him!" Glitch said.

"We can't save what's already lost." Squishy said.

"Shut the fuck up, Matt." Shadow said. "Glitch is right, we have to go save him."

Squishy wiped his eyes.

"We can't, we're just kids." Squishy told them. "What chance do we have against Agents?"

"We don't." Shadow lowered her head. "But I know a few people who do."

Squishy turned to her. He didn't want to do this. There was no way he was going to do this. They couldn't save him, even if he was alive. They're just kids. They're just kids who happen to like Agents a lot. They're just kids, they're not Neo and Trinity and Morpheus. They've never been to the Oracle's, they've never seen the Real World.

They're just kids.

"Jones and Brown." Shadow said.

"Jones and Brown!?" Glitch repeated.

"No, Shadow. We couldn't... There's no way in hell we could pull this off." Squishy told her.

"Matt..." Shadow got up. "We have to do something..."

"What then? Get ourselves killed!?" Squishy yelled. "They'll kill us, Shadow! You know that of all people! They'll blow our brains out, without a second thought! That's an Agent's purpose!"

"But they can't touch us! Ever since the peace, they're not allowed to hurt anyone that isn't unplugged!" Shadow yelled. "Hurting us is an act of war!"

"What makes you think they don't want that!?"

"Guys, shut up." Glitch told them.

"I don't want to die, Shadow! I want to live! I want to get out of this God forsaken place, I want to see the Real World!" Squishy told her.

"They won't touch us..." She shook her head.

"Shut up!" Glitch told them.

"I don't care how much you love Smith! That doesn't mean it'll end like your stories! We'll die if we do this! Smith wouldn't want that!" Squishy yelled.

"My stories..." Shadow smiled. "My stories end in pain and suffering! You know that!"

"Shut up!" Glitch pushed them both.

"I don't care how much you want Smith to take you away, and hold you, and protect you, and tell you he loves you, that is never going to happen!" Squishy yelled.

Shadow stared at him, her mouth open. Then she turned away, and put her head in her eyes, she didn't even want to look at him anymore.

"I told you...shut up." Glitch looked over at Squishy.

"Shadow... I won't let you do this. We'll die." Squishy told her.

Shadow raised her head.

"I want to try, Squishy. Then one day if Smith comes back here, half dead, we can tell him we tried. We tried to help him, we tried so hard, but we couldn't do it. I want to try. I want to save him... We have to." Shadow turned back to him.

Squishy turned his head, and started to pace around.

"Gah!" He yelled. "We are so dead!"

"No we're not." Glitch told him.

"We can't do this!"

"Yes we can!" Shadow yelled at him. "I've got it all in my head!"

Squishy shook his head, as he finally just walked up to Shadow, and grabbed her.

"We are not going to do this." He told.

He picked her up off the ground, and started heading for the stairs.

"Let go of me!" She yelled.

"After all he's done to the world. After he has hated us, killed us, and ruled the entire world, you want to save him! You want to save the cancer, the Virus of the Matrix! You want to sacrifice everything for that thing! Well I won't let you." Squishy told her.

"Let go of me you fucker! Let me go!" She squirmed in his arm.

Glitch stood near the bed, watching the two bicker. He bit his lower lip, turning to the television he had worked along side Smith for so long to try and fix. He shook his head, and he sat down on the bed, listening to the other two scream their heads off.

"I won't let you die."

"Let go! Let go! Let go! I hate you! I hate you so much!" Shadow yelled.

She finally kicked him in the chest, and fell to the floor. She crawled away as fast as she could, as Squishy stumbled.

"I hate you!" She pointed at him.

Squishy stared at her at the wall.

"Don't ever say that you bastard! Don't ever talk like that! You know it! I know it! He's not like that! He was never like that! If he was you would've told by now! He would be dead by now!" She screamed at him.

He shook his head, and grabbed her again by the hands.

"I want him back too. I really do." He told her.

"Then let's get him!"

"It's not that easy."

"I know!"

She ripped her arms away from him, and ran beside to Glitch, who had a rather blank stare.

"I have the money! Have you ever seen me spend money! I have like eight hundred dollars! I know where Jones and Brown live! It'll take like two days by bus! That's all! Then it's in their hands! That's all we have to do! Agents won't even know about us! They can't even touch us!" She screamed.

"And what about after that?" Squishy asked.

Shadow looked away.

"What about when he's safe, with us. And the Agents come after him again. And he has to run away. What about when he spends the rest of his life running? What about after all that, and we have to say goodbye, and we never see him again?" Squishy asked, keeping his distance.

Shadow turned to Glitch, as if expecting him to say something, but he didn't, he just stared off into space. Then she turned to Squishy.

"At least then, he would have a life." She told him.

Squishy sighed, as he sat down on the couch, across from them.

"At least then, he may be happy." She continued. "Everyone deserves to be happy, don't they? That's why...Jones and Brown were pleaded innocent after the trials after the war. That's why programs are treated as humans here. That's why...Sentinels are thanked whenever they recharge a ship..."

Squishy sighed again, and Glitch moved his stare to the bookshelf.

They all wanted him back.

"So...What do we do then?" Squishy looked at her.

She didn't bother looking at him back.

"We say are goodbyes, explain we'll be back soon. Leave notes for parents I guess. Pack for the nights we'll spend sleeping somewhere else. I guess we could get a cheap motel, cheap ones don't care who you are as long as you got money... I'll buy the bus tickets, get a map and everything. Find Jones and Brown, which should be easier, they live in what few hills are in New York. Tell them, they should know where the Agents are keeping Smith. After all, they were Agents. The Interigation room is like a Construct, it's a place outside the Matrix, but still part of it... We get Smith, and if we can, we'll take care of him. If we can't...we say goodbye. Then we'll come back home... As if nothing ever happened. Blame it all on hormones or something." Shadow told them all.

"Okay." Glitch finally spoke.

Squishy still shook his head.

"Fine." He said.

"We won't get hurt. They won't even know..." She whispered.

lllllllllllllllll

"We have to go now." Shadow told everyone.

"But, I don't understand. Where are you going!?" Yuki yelled at them.

"It's just something we got to do." Squishy told her.

"But...You can't!" Yuki yelled at him.

Squishy turned his head.

"The less you know, the better. We're just leaving, we'll be back soon." Shadow said.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Switch told them.

"It doesn't have to, can't you just trust us?" Shadow asked them.

It was Monday, they took Sunday to pack and think about it all. Shadow wondered if this is how Neo felt staring Agent Jones before he started firing his gun. Or perhaps it is like right before you take your first jump. When you stare down at the far away ground, knowing you have to do this. Squishy compared it to rescuing Morpheus like Neo and Trinity did long ago. Shadow pointed out that their rescue was a success. It wasn't that hard to get out of the school bus or that car, to know that they would not return for a long time. They were in the Matrix, they were fighting for what they believed, they have to forget about the rest. It wasn't that hard. It wasn't that hard to sit through two classes, not taking notes or paying attention. Just tapping their pencils.

Besides, they'll be back soon.

So they stood there now, during Nutrition, their back packs full of clothes and food, and anything they'll need. Within Shadow's pockets she carefully held three bus tickets. The three wore all black, looking ready for this.

Glitch who stood off to the side, silently waiting to leave. Squishy who had an orange shirt in his back pack, looked pretty good in black. And Shadow, leaving the trench coat in her closet. It was just a burden, she could barely run in it anyway.

"You guys are crazy!" Yuki yelled. "I won't let you go!"

"Too late, I already tried that." Squishy told her.

Yuki shook her head at them. Switch was reacting much like Glitch, staying silent. Mouse was twitching his head like he always did, but this time their was a purpose behind it.

Shadow looked back behind them.

"There he is." She told Squishy.

Squishy nodded.

"Bye guys, we'll see you when we see you." Shadow told them.

Squishy nodded, as he started walking towards John, who was just trying to get his locker open. Squishy bit his lower lip, grabbing him by the back collar.

"What the fuck!?" John yelled.

"Shut up." Squishy told him.

Then Squishy picked him up, and slammed him into the lockers by the face, and pushed his head into the steel. He turned John around and put his arm around his throat.

"You did this John. This is all your fault." Squishy told him.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" John was able to gag out.

"Can you feel that? That's me crushing your windpipe. If you survive this, you probably won't be able to speak anymore. You'll probably become a vegetable by then, because of the lack of oxygen." Squishy told him, pressing harder on his throat. "This is all your fault, John. Why? Why did you have to tell?"

John was gagging against the lockers.

"Let him go." Shadow said. "We're not murderers, or Rebels, or Agents. We're just kids."

Squishy sighed, dropping John to the ground, who started to cough and gag for air.

"What the hell was that!?" John coughed.

"You told! You fucker told! They came, John! Agents came and took him away! You told!" Shadow yelled at him.

"I didn't tell!" John yelled.

"Whatever, everything was fine until you saw him. Until he saw you. Now he's gone. Everything used to be fine." Shadow told him.

John lay on the cold school ground, holding his throat.

"It doesn't matter, let's go." Shadow said turning around.

She started walking away, towards the street. Glitch already was waiting for them, his hands in his pockets. And Squishy stared at John, before turning, and following Shadow.

"What the fuck, Agent girl!?" Some eight grader yelled. "Hey, I don't care how much you like those Agents, you can't go around doing that shit to people!"

Shadow lowered her head.

"Today is not a good day, sir." She told the eight grader.

"Yeah, well I don't give a shit!"

"Not today!" Squishy yelled, punching the eight grader in the face.

Squishy shook his fist, almost enjoying letting al the anger out. The three watched as the eight grader stumbled today the floor.

"Not today!" Squishy repeated.

"Not ever again." Shadow told him.

And Glitch, Glitch just smiled, and nodded.

The eight grader held his face in his hands, as he stumbled to get up. Then a teacher started to run towards the three of them. Shadow almost laughed.

"Now what?" Glitch asked.

"We run." Squishy said.

Then they started running as the teachers and their friends screamed at them. But they kept running. Running down the streets into the buildings where Rebels once fought a war in. Run and fly away.

lllllllllllllll

Next Chapter: Walking the Path

Squishy and I had good fun deciding the dialogue in this.


	8. Walking the Path

"There is a difference, Neo, between knowing the path, and walking it."

"So what, you know Morpheus speeches now?" Squishy rolls his eyes.

Shadow ignores him, staring at the ground passing her by. She slopes her head, and biting her lower lip. Her backpack is heavy, she wishes Squishy would carry it, but it's not like she's going to ask.

She takes long strides between footsteps, staring at the ground that has become their path. She is careful with the sidewalk, as cars drive by, and people walk on past them. This is the path; this is the path they will follow now on.

"Morpheus's speeches are full of lies." Shadow answers. "It just felt…appropriate."

They've heard the stories. The story of Neo and his first jump, the first time he ever saw Smith, the first time he plugged in, the first time… Those are Neo's stories, and they are well known. How could they not be? They're bedtime stories parents tell to their children.

That's what people do. It's not cowboys and Indians; it's Neo and Agents. It's kids going in dark trench coats for Halloween, saying they are the reincarnation of Neo, they are The One, and they will find a way to maintain peace between man and Machine. It's kids being named after him. It's Neo's name in the history books as a messiah.

It's never Smith, it's never Agents.

They say horrible things about him…Horrible things written in chronicle books in the Real World, horrible things in the history books. Neo is the hero of the entire world, Smith is the bad guy.

This is how it is. This is how it shall always be, no matter what they do.

They can walk this path for eternity and it will not change.

"Did you leave a note for your parents?" Glitch asks, lowering his head, for once in his life breaking the silence.

"Yeah." Squishy nods to him.

"No."

"Why not?" Glitch asks her.

"Cause I hate them. This will be good for us. That's what they do for bad couples right? They separate for a while." Shadow says, walking ahead of her boys.

"How far is this bus?" Squishy changes the subject.

"Not that far, plus I got an all night ticket. I guess they'll let us sleep on the bus. I've got like two hundred bucks left that should last us." Shadow told them, looking back on them.

They're leaving it behind. Following the path that leads out into the rest of the world.

"Have you ever been outside the state?" Squishy asks.

"I've been to Mexico." Shadow says.

"Oregon for me." Glitch raises his hand.

"Great." Squishy sighed.

------------

And so the three of them stood, leaning on the walls of the bus stop. Glitch laid himself on the ground, while Shadow and Squishy stood on the old walls of that place. They were quieter now, being so close to opening the door.

"Neo opened the door made of light, and entered into what would change the course of the war." Shadow said rather silently.

"Neo did a lot of things." Squishy told her.

"Shut up, Matt." She spat at him. "Neo saved humanity, and ended the war. Neo chose the red pill. Neo defied the Agents. Neo learned the truth. Neo become more than anyone can ever hope to be. Neo became the light the machines now thrive off of. Neo holds graves both in the Real World and in here." Shadow told him.

"Neo killed Smith, two times." Squishy said calmly.

Shadow lowered her head.

"And Smith deserved it each time." She whispered. "Look I know you don't want to go but do you have to be so pissed off? If you don't want to go, leave."

"If he leaves, I'm leaving." Glitch looked up.

"Thanks for the support, Glitch." Shadow said.

"I'm not leaving. I'm just…thinking." Squishy said, laying his head back down on the wall.

They were quiet again. On the brink of entering hundreds of years of war. As soon as they stepped on that bus, they will be part of this war, this war that has ended. They will be the children who went to rescue the Former Agent Smith. Sure, no one will know, but in a couple hundred years things have their way of slipping out into the open. As soon as they're on that bus, they will be in this war, they will see Agents, and they will know how to run from them.

Maybe in a hundred years they will join Neo's name in a history book.

The thought gives Shadow a smile.

They're just kids, and they're going to do something much like the Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus did half a decade ago. Three people, off on a rescue mission that is surely to fail. Of course, none of them were The One, none of them could hold a gun or fight with the skill of Agents, or even get shot in the chest eight times and live. But it was so simple… It seemed simple at least.

"I hope Smith's okay." Shadow said.

"He's fine, he can take care of himself. It's us you should be worrying about." Squishy told her.

"I hope he's okay too." Glitch looked up.

They hadn't really thought of what the Agents could have been doing to him or already done. Interrogation was all they knew, what forms of interrogation, well that's another story. Smith had not told them much, perhaps he didn't remember. Brown's book was not filled with much detail on the subject, supposedly he did not particularly enjoy them, watching Smith speak in ways he shouldn't have.

Shadow said it was just a small little room, how horrible small little rooms can be.

"I bet he's dead." Squishy sighed.

Shadow bit her lower lip and smacked Squishy in the back of the head, of course she had to stand on her toes, but she did it.

"Ow!" He screamed.

"Shut up, I'm going to tell him you said that." She said.

"Dude, he'll kill you." Glitch smiled a little.

"Stop hitting me!"

Shadow hit him again, without much of an expression on her face.

"We're about to become part of a war that has gone on for hundreds of years, for god's sake show some freaking dignity." She told him.

"The war is over, it's been over since Smith was killed fifty-six years ago." Squishy said, angrily.

"Fifty-six years is not that long compared to hundreds." She said.

"There is now peace between man and machine." He said.

And she hit him again, with Glitch smiling behind his back.

Soon, the bus arrived, and they were the only ones waiting for it, with their back packs full of supplies, and Squishy rubbing the back of his head. They waited amount as the door opened and squeaked before stepping on. Shadow looked at the boys, and just…Took the first step.

There were not many others on the bus, just a couple in people in the back that would soon leave. She seated herself near the middle, where Squishy and Glitch joined her, squeezing into one seat. They did not wish to separate. Shadow nudged Squishy as she scooted closer to the window. They laid their backpacks on the floor, and sat in silence. Glitch in the aisle was now looking around at the other people. Squishy was silent, and Shadow watched the rest of the unsuspecting world go by.

This was it. This is the door.

"Asato ma sad gamaya, tamaso ma jyotir gamaya, mrtyor mamrtam gamaya…" Shadow began to nod her head.

"What the hell?" Squishy looked at her annoyed.

"Dude…" Glitch said.

"It's Hindu, boys, nothing evil. The composer guy…you know the guy that did all the music of Jurassic Park, he wrote it when he was freed for Neo and the others." She told them.

"Don Davis." Squishy nodded.

"Yeah! That's the guy…He's cool. Just gives Andy competition though." Shadow smiled.

"Asotu ma sood go maya?" Squishy shook his head.

"No! No, no, no. Um… As-a-to." She said slowly. "Ma sad, ga-may-ya." She nodded her head.

"Okay…" Glitch titled his head.

"It means from delusion lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to light, and from death lead me to immortality. I wish I knew the rest but it's like a nine minute song, and they go to fast for me." She says. "It just…you know seemed appropriate."

"Asato…" Squishy nodded.

"Yeah."

"Dude, those people back there are looking at you." Glitch pointed.

Shadow looked over the seat and towards the back.

"People suck." Shadow said, falling back into her chair.

"They sure do." Squishy nodded.

And they were left to the mercy of the traffic, and their own anxiety and boredom. Shadow rested her head on the glass window, cars were usually where she thought about stories, at the moment she was running her plan in her head again…she just wanted to see Smith again. Squishy laid his head on the chair, his arms crossed, looking at Glitch playing his Gameboy.

And they were left in silence, thinking of what may happen to them in the next hours. It was as if they were waiting in their APUs for the destruction of Zion, to know it is coming, and to sit and wait. Such agonizing time is.

"Do you think Neo will ever be reincarnated?" Shadow said. "Just a thought."

"Dude, as long as I'm not him, I don't care." Squishy said.

"You're just afraid of dying." She said.

"Well duh!"

"Neo wasn't afraid."

"That's cause Neo was like forty, and had, had his life, and had nothing else to live for when his girlfriend died."

"Her name was Trinity."

"Trinity, fine." He crossed his arms tighter.

"Neo wasn't afraid of dying, because I think he knew it was inevitable for him, the messiah to give his life for the rest of his people." She said hitting her head on the glass.

"God that had to be a horrible thought. Living each day knowing you're going to die." Glitch stated, a rather deep comment

"We live each day like that, Mr. Mucci." Shadow smiled. "We may die today, but how is that different from any other day? We are soldiers, and this is a war."

"More Morpheus huh?" Squishy asked her.

She almost laughed.

"Maybe Morpheus isn't as bad as I thought." She admitted.

"Dude, Neo didn't know he was going to die." Squishy argued.

"Of course he did! You're The One, Neo, the one that will save all of humanity against an entire world full of machines! You're going to die!" Shadow yelled. "It had to be in the back of his head, you know. A splinter in his mind."

"That sucks." Glitch says.

"Neo was just some hacker guy, I doubt he was thinking about death when he had his Trinity." Squishy sighs, leaning in his chair. "I bet he was still a virgin when he met Trinity."

"Yeah, probably. Hackers don't get out often enough." Shadow bangs her head on the window again.

"Ew." Glitch squints his eyes.

"Well, Smith is a virgin right? I mean, _Agent _Smith wouldn't even consider such a thing." Shadow looks over at Glitch.

"Ew!" Glitch turns his head.

"Well how do know that? I mean there are many methods of interrogation." Squishy comments.

"Oh, Matt! Ew! Well actually, there are some fanfics on that…" Shadow sighs. "Dude let's just get off the subject, SexEd was really boring anyway."

"Some dignity, huh Shadow?" Squishy grins.

And she hits him, leaving him rubbing the back of his head. Yeah, some dignity.

"I hope Smith is okay." Shadow says, leaning in her chair.

And now they are quiet, with the few other people in the bus staring at them. Three little children, where on earth could they be going? It doesn't even cross their minds that these children are on their way to save the Agent Smith.

Shadow sighs, resting her head on the window. The car is where she thinks deeper about stuff, she assumes that is where everyone thinks about things deeper. Cars and buses, this is where the real magic happens. Where they aren't just kids, their honors students expressing their deep and amazing thought. Sitting in the car, watching the world go by, the world she knew where Neo once stood, and Agents fire their guns, this is where stories come in. This is where the images of stories long finished stories come back, they play in her head like a movie. While in Squishy's as the piece of paper she wrote it on with so many, many mistakes. While Glitch sees the fight scenes, and longs for the welcoming noise of his computer. This is where images of Smith falling to the ground with a bullet in his chest come into her mind. This is where images of Smith flapping his lighting wings come into her mind. This is where images of Smith being happy come into mind. It is a little pathetic really, but that's what she's thinking of. She begins to think of the plan laid out in her head, she can't wait to see Jones and Brown.

They are silent, and this time they will stay silent. Children are meant to be silent, as the old saying will go. In silence that is where children free their minds.

"He'll be okay." Squishy nudges Shadow.

"Yeah, you're just really freaked out now, and saying he's dead because you're weird like that." Shadow smile.

Squishy rolls his eyes, and looks at Glitch.

"Exactly, Shadow." He says.

"I hope he's okay." Shadow says again.

Three little children, three self-proclaimed rebels. Three friends. Three ships. Room three zero three. Trinity. Three friends, one purpose. "Find them and destroy them." As Smith once said. Well, maybe they were just find him. "Find Smith, and tackle him." That would better suite them.

They're just kids, but they are like the boy with the spoon. More enlightened than many will ever hope to be. And now they're walking the path, the path that was set by Neo, Trinity and Morpheus. They were following in their footsteps into a war, and they were ready.

----------

"I can't remember what happened." Smith said, leaning down in his chair.

He had forgotten how repetitive Agents were, how their minds think in circles, trying to get the answer they want to hear. Smith had woken up about six hours earlier, with a splitting headache. He's been in the Interrogation room ever since, with the new Agents hovering over him. He figured they would have left him by now, perhaps there was Rebel activity they needed to attend to. But they hadn't left, perhaps he was just much more important than some Rebels. He supposed he should have been flattered, but he wasn't.

He had been repeating the same answers to the same questions, and ignoring the same threats. He looked back at the hours he spent in that very room, it was always so much more fun on the other side, watching who ever he was interrogating squirm and panic. But he hadn't given Johnson such a pleasure yet. He still had a headache, and he was trying not to think too far ahead into the future. Bad things always happened when he looked into the future, he knew that much. He knew what may come, so he just tried not to think about it.

Smith glanced at Johnson who was speaking rather like he used to, very slowly, and he was getting rather bored. He looked over at Jackson then at Thompson, and shook his head. He had long since stopped listening to Johnson, and allowed his mind to wander. For a moment he wondered how they were going to kill him. If Johnson would allow Jackson and Thompson to do it for him. But if Johnson was like him, then he would be killed with a few bullets to the chest. Smith blinked, and tried to think of something else.

And he wondered what his kids were doing now. Yes, he thought of them as his. His three future rebels. The writer, the cow-enthusiast, and the APU pilot. Smith smiled.

"Do I amuse you somehow, Mr. Smith?" Johnson asked.

"Hm? Oh! No, I wasn't listening to you, and I was thinking of something else." Smith said quite casually.

Johnson clenched his hands on the table.

"You fail to see the seriousness in your situation, Mr. Smith." Johnson said.

"I see it perfectly, Johnson. I just don't really care. You're going to kill me, and I'm not going to spend my last hours listening to some want-to-be-me." Smith smiled, he found himself using some of the words his kids used.

"Excuse me?"

Smith sighed at his ignorance.

"You are the upgraded version of me. I can see that so plainly. It's sickening really, to watch you. It's like watching myself, watching myself from a long time ago. Ah, Agent Smith, I can barely remember him." Smith started fiddling with his thumbs.

"We want answers."

"I don't have them, you're wasting your time. Go out and kill somebody." Smith sighed.

"How did you survive all these years?"

"Look, maybe I'm not making this clear enough. I don't remember anything! Are you listening? After being blown up you tend to have a bit of amnesia! I've been sitting in that basement for all this time, because I could barely remember Neo's name much less anything else!" Smith started yelling.

And Johnson and the others stared blankly.

"Oh God was I really like you people once!?" Smith fell back in his chair.

"You are lying, Former Agent Smith. You seemed quite comfortable in your basement." Johnson lowers his head.

"How very true Johnson. Yes, I ventured out a couple times, confused and disorient. I still didn't know what the hell was going on, I just knew I couldn't be around those people, those things." Smith clenches his fist. "So I went out and stole some things to make my very long stay in that basement as comfortable as I could."

He's lying. He is surprised at hour good of a liar he is. He's lying, and not mentioning his kids, his future Rebels. His children he has grown so dependent on. He wishes he could say goodbye.

"Now leave me alone, or kill me! I'm not going to try and take over the world again! I can't really remember how I did it the first time, but I'm pretty sure I blew it. So I'm not trying again! There's no point now, I can't even defeat you three!" Smith gets impatient.

"Do you really want us to take that risk, Mr. Smith?" Johnson asks. "After what you did? Do you really want us to just…let you go? The only reason you are still alive is because we have to examine you and your connection to the anomaly. How it was formed and corrupted. How you somehow were able to surpass the system and nearly annihilate it. How you were able to survive all this time without our sensors finding you. And we have many forms of interrogation Former Agent Smith."

Smith smiles.

"You can't scare me with this Gestapo crap, I was once you remember?" Smith says quoting a man named Thomas.

"Mr. Smith…We are the upgrades. You do not disobey us." Johnson makes a fist.

"Now how about I give you the finger." Smith smiles, pointing his finger right at Johnson. "And you give me my phone."

Smith holds back a laugh, oh how the kids would love this. How they would laugh and point at Johnson, and cheer for him. Oh how Neo would have loved this too. Oh how he would have laughed and laughed, Neo never smiled at Smith, never. But he could tell, when Neo did this to him he was indeed enjoying it. And now he was enjoying it as well.

Shadow, Squishy, Glitch, I will miss you.

Johnson stared at Smith who now smiled in his chair. He wondered for a moment how on earth he could be an upgrade of such a corrupted program. Such a horrible thing. No purpose, no meaning. Just a lonesome program searching for a reason to survive, a reason to keep clinging on. Johnson was not like Smith, he never will be like Smith.

That is when Johnson punches Smith in the face, and Smith falls to the floor.

Smith grids his teeth, holding pressure to his face, lying on the floor, feeling a tears come from his eyes. It just hurt so much. He panted looking up at Johnson who stood above Smith, and smiling. Johnson put his foot near Smith's face, and rubbed his fist on his hand, and shaking it off. He really did put as much as he could into that punch, and he loved it.

"As I said, we are upgrades."

-----------

Next Chapter: Always an Agent


	9. Always An Agent

There are three children in a bus heading towards New York. Their names are Shadow, Squishy, and Glitch. It is four am and they are asleep. It was Shadow who fell asleep last, she's used to late nights and all. She sleeps with her head on the window. Squishy has moved to the row of seats ahead of them to fall asleep on his back. Glitch has as well, but in a row across from where Shadow is. The other people on the bus stare at the strange children, the three kids who are too young to be where they are, but they're not going to say anything.

Another hour and the virtual sun will rise, Shadow is going to wake up. Bright things always wake her up, that's why her room is so dark. Squishy calls it a Hobbit's hole. She hits him and calls it the Bat cave.

This is how they begin their first few hours walking the path, sleeping, and dreaming dreams in a dream world.

And somewhere within the same dream world is a program named Smith, and he is staring at another programmed named Agent Johnson. Smith is drifting in and out of sleep, he grows tired of just listening to Johnson. He doesn't always sleep, but if he has to he will. Smith lowers his head, and rubs his cheek that now holds a bruise. Perhaps if he falls asleep, the Agents will leave him alone for a little while. Perhaps if he falls asleep he will dream of something else but broken memories.

That's when Smith just tells Johnson to shut up, and he lowers his head into his arms, resting on the cold, metal table. He closes his eyes, and falls into sleep. Sleep like so many humans do now in Zion and within the Matrix. Sleep will now save him. And he hopes he will awake.

The bus begins to shake, the road is getting unbearable. Shadow bangs her head on the window in her sleep, waking her up. She moans, and groans, putting her head in her knees.

"Oh, Smith…" She whispers.

"What about him?"

"Ah!"

Squishy peers over from his row of seat that is now his bed.

"Don't do that!" Shadow complains.

"Go to sleep, you're irritable." Squishy says.

"I'll go to sleep at Brown's house." Shadow nods her head.

"Yeah right."

"You guys, shut up!" Glitch yells.

Shadow rolls her eyes.

"So what about Smith?" Squishy whispers.

She says nothing.

"I dreamed that actor who played Dracula kissed me." Shadow says breaking the subject.

Squishy raises an eyebrow.

"I always liked Dracula." She says.

"Come on. What about Smith?"

"I forget his name…Richard I think. Bela Lugosi I remember, and Dwight Frye was Renfield. Oh Renfield, he's been forgotten in recent vampire movies. Always replaced with someone else, but he's the best, you know? Oh and his son died on my birthday, Dwight, I mean. I was going to write something on Dracula, a script, but with all the recent activities I've never gotten around to it…"

"You're rambling."

"Yeah, so?"

"You know. I think of Agents as Elites."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"What does Dracula have to do with anything? You change the subject so can I."

Shadow laughs to herself.

"Alright, Halo God, continue." She says.

"So in Halo, there's Elites, and Grunts. We're the Grunts. Elites are the Agents. With their high honor. Smith has been dishonored, and the other Elites, Agents, are going to punish him for his dishonor."

"Whose Master Chief?"

"Neo of course!"

"Of course. You know, you have the strangest outlook on life."

"Yeah, it's what I do."

"Shut up!" Glitch yells.

"You shut up Glitch!" Shadow yells back.

"X-box hater!" Squishy mocks.

"PS2 is better!" Glitch yells back at Squishy.

And the adults on the bus stare.

-

Smith wakes up. He is cautious to look up, only to see he is finally alone. He raises his head, and rubs his blue eyes. Looking behind him and towards the metallic door. Seeing only him within the four white walls he yawns and stretches his back.

Smith sighs to himself, grateful and fearful for the fact that he's still alive. He only realizes that he will have to spend some grieve moments alone in this room before death.

He then looks for something to entertain himself, something to keep his mind off of things. He begins to fiddle with his thumbs. He just needs anything, anything that will take his mind off of things. Anything that will make it all better. Anything…

But that is such a difficult thing when one processes the mind of an AI that can think a thousands thoughts at once. A mind that was made to always think, never to deny.

A mind that was made to never know what freedom was.

To never know what flying was like.

To never rebel.

To never realize a concept of life and death.

Smith shakes his head. Why him? Why was he the one that had to be the negative? Was he different only to balance an equation that no longer existed? Was all this sorrow just to allow Neo to live? Was this his life? Just…a tool…

No, no…don't get depressed now, not now, not so soon. Don't get depressed in your last moments.

He puts his head in his hands. Don't get depressed, think of happier things. Think of that night. Think of that when you ruled the world. And he does. He remembers that night, not really the details. He doesn't remember what he said, or what Neo said. He doesn't remember who hit who. But he remembers the rain. The beautiful rain.

Rain for me, my world.

Then the thoughts turn to the three children who have gave purpose in his last months of his life. The awkward little exiles, children trying to do kung fu moves of only The One could do. The little girl who wore a trench coat and suit, and the boys that followed her. Shadow, Squishy, and Glitch. Just kids.

Just kids who always beat him in video games, he was secretly going easy on them.

Just kids…his kids…his little rebels.

He's going to have to leave them now. Shadow seemed so sad when they took him away. Oh, poor little girl. She needs him, or anyone. Well, she has Squishy and Glitch. Yes, they'll take care of her.

That'll have to do.

Smith sighs. Looking back on his life, he doesn't really enjoy it. The fact the people he most cares about are little children. Neo doesn't even matter anymore. Neo's dead. He killed him. Neo's dead, long gone. All that hatred wasted. All that anger and fear wasted.

It isn't fair.

All his life wasted. He's been alive for centauries, and most of it killing out of hatred.

It isn't fair.

It isn't fair.

He can't even defend himself anymore, why won't they just leave him alone? Why can't he just leave this place? Why won't they let him out?

It isn't fair.

It isn't fair.

"It isn't fair."

Smith raises his head out of his hands, and looks up to the corner where a camera looks to the right and left, right and left, right and left. He stares at it for a moment, and he knows they're watching him.

"It isn't fair, you hear me? It isn't fair!"

He knows they're in a room right now watching him.

"It isn't fair!"

Smith rises to his feet, walking towards the camera. He points it off.

"It isn't fair damn it!"

The anger and hate from before, it's all coming back now. It's all coming back now.

"It isn't fair!"

He grabs his chair and throws it across the room, it echoes across the four walls. He grabs the other chair, this time tossing it upward towards the camera. The chair bounces off the floor, almost hitting him, so he kicks it toward the door. Then he decides to start hitting the locked door with the chair. Again, and again, he hits it. Just trying to get out, just trying to get free again. Failing, he throws it across the room again, and begins to kick the door, knowing that won't do any good.

He slams his fist into the door. He breathes deeply, wanting to scream.

He throws the table down, and flicks off the camera.

"It isn't fair!" He yells again.

Then all the anger is gone. He falls to the ground, and crawls into the corner, putting his head in his knees.

He needed that.

"It isn't fair…" He now whispers.

And the Agents watching him from another room tilt their heads, Johnson smiles.

"I wish…I wish I could show you Johnson."

Johnson snaps his head.

"I mean, you are me, or at least an upgrade of myself. I guess if I cannot know life, I wish for you to. I wish I could show you, Johnson. What it is really like outside these walls. No…I wouldn't be able to do that. I haven't been out there long enough to show you…" Smith whispers in the corner.

Johnson slightly opens his mouth. There is no compassion in Johnson in this moment, no regret, no pity. If the others were not standing beside him, he would say what a fool Smith was. Johnson makes a fist, ready to strangle Smith.

"It's so amazing, Johnson. I know what you're thinking. You hate me, you hate everything. And all these years you haven't said anything. But soon, Johnson, you won't be able to keep it all in. And Thompson and Jackson will notice, and they'll worry about you. But they won't say anything either…."

Johnson frowns, and the two upgrades behind him look at each other.

"I wonder if you'll ever experience the smells…."

Johnson lowers his head, and Thompson and Jackson back away.

"Johnson?" Asks Thompson.

"Don't listen to him. Don't even give him the satisfaction." Johnson says, as he pushes them aside, towards the door.

Within the next hour, Smith slowly rose from the safety of his corner. Slowly he placed the table in the right position, and the chairs. He didn't say a word while he tidied up. Not a word or expression. He just made it all clean again, and sat down quietly. He's still an Agent, he still likes it all clean.

He now waits for the door to open.

-

"So where do they live?"

"We're close don't worry about it."

"But they're like rich right?"

"Yeah, the Resistance, after signing a treaty gave them a nice home and all."

"So is it a gated place?"

"Yeah."

"How we going to get in there?"

Shadow smiled.

"Just a little more." She said.

Shadow gets out her backpack, reaching for a piece of paper with an address on it. She's smiling now, Squishy and Glitch following behind her.

"God I'm tired." Moans Glitch.

"What if they don't let us in?" Squishy asks.

"Then we sneak in." Shadow smiles. "It's easier than you'd think."

Houses start appearing.

"New York is loud." Moans Glitch again.

"Look there it is!" Shadow points.

"Which one?"

"The white one! I've seen it on the internet." Shadow smiles and begins to run.

Shadow being the faster runner goes ahead, without the boys even trying to run after her. When they finally find her she's pulling her head through a metal fence. She turns back at them and smiles.

"Okay." Squishy sighs, dropping his backpack. "How are we going to do this?"

Squishy taps Glitch.

"Give me a boost." Squishy says.

"No way!" Glitch yells.

"Dude you weigh more than me!"

"Yeah, and you're still heavy!"

"Hey, you shut up!"

Squishy pushes Glitch.

"Give me a boost!" Squishy yells.

"Get the hell away from me!" Glitch tells him.

Meanwhile Shadow is on the other side of the fence.

"Hey you guys." She says.

"How'd you do that?" Squishy asks.

"I fit through the fence, duh."

Shadow demonstrates by turning sideways, and walking out of the fence, and back in. Shocked the boys stare.

"You're like a stick!" Squishy yells.

"Yeah I know." She nods. "I'm going to go open the gate for you guys now."

-

"Aw man, I don't feel so good all of the sudden." Shadow grabs her stomach.

"Look we're right here! You have to get sick now?" Glitch asks.

"That's why I feel sick!"

They're standing in the drive way now, the lights are still on in the house.

"Aw man, those are cool Audis!" Squishy points at the two black cars parked in the driveway.

"That's not helping." Shadow says.

She begins to bite her wrists as she does when she's nervous. She jumps up and down for a moment.

"Oh come on! You can see Smith for months but you can't see Brown or Jones?" Squishy tells her. "We've gone all this way, you're coming now, and we're going to save Smith!"

Squishy grabs her by the arm she's biting.

"Don't get mad at me!" She yells.

"Look. This is for Smith, so just, relax, okay?" Squishy tells her.

Shadow grabs her arm back, and gently massages it, as she walks over towards the door. Shadow gives out a big sigh, as she clenches her hands. Glitch stands in the back of the three, being the shy boy he is. Squishy frowns, and knocks the door before Shadow can get ready.

Knock, knock.

"Hello?"

It is Brown that opens the door.

"Mr. Brown?" Shadow gulped.

Brown scanned the three children with great curiosity. Then he smiled at them, and for once leaned down to their size.

"Little girl, it is very late, and I don't think there is anything I can help you with." He said very politely.

"But…."

"In fact where are your parents?"

Brown started looking around the front yard looking for any parents.

"Smith is alive." Shadow blurted out.

Squishy coughed, and nudged her in the back. She looked back at him, and shrugged.

"What…what did you say?" Brown stuttered.

"Brown who is it?" Jones peered over from the hallway.

"Smith is alive!" Shadow yelled into the house.

Jones stopped in his tracks.

"Little girl, you should not speak such lies, especially to us about that man." Brown said strongly.

"But it's true!"

Brown lowered his head, and gripped the door tightly. He sighed and looked at the children. Horrible children he thought, playing a joke on them.

"He's dead, now leave this place." Brown started closing the door.

"No! He's alive!" Squishy yelled, putting his foot in the doorway.

"He misses you, Brown." Shadow says.

Brown froze, leaving the door slightly opened.

"He tells us stories about you and Jones. I can see it in his eyes, the regret. He's so sorry, Brown. He's wanted to see you for so long…" Shadow says.

Brown now has his head rested on the corner of the door, a horrified look on his face. Jones walks over to him, placing his hand on Brown's shoulder, and looks over at the children.

Brown opens the door.

"Please…come in."

-

You wanted Jones and Brown, here they are!

Next Chapter: Rescue Mission (Like Neo and Morpheus)


	10. Rescue Mission

Rescue Mission

There is food on a table, real food, as real as it gets in that place. Steak to be exact, and the three little rebels are feasting on it, barely able to speak. Jones sits across the starving children, studying them, trying see how Smith could have taken a liking to them. Brown comes holding two bowels of more food, setting them beside the children, and sits next to Jones.

The house is warm and welcoming. Quite a luxurious life really. The living room has a large flat screen television, and a variety of a DVD collection that Jones enjoys every few Fridays. A stereo system is to the left with a tango CD on track twelve. The walls are a warm and red color, paintings and mirrors decorate the walls. A nice fluffy couch sits there. Even a Piano in the corner that Brown loves dearly. And then there are hallways, even a second floor. A study where Brown likes to spend most of his time, reading the many books he owns. Writing a few along the way.

"I'm sorry…it's just…." Shadow begins, swallowing her food.

"We haven't eaten." Squishy finishes.

"It is quite all right. I like seeing my food eaten." Brown says gently.

Shadow peeks up from her plate, noticing the two former Agents and their blank stares. She notices how Brown's wearing a white collard shirt, while Jones has a more casual black shirt on. Brown stares at them with a great concern, and Shadow diverts her eyes.

Brown bites his lower lip.

"Tell us more, please." Jones says.

"He was just lying…in some basement of this abandon building. He didn't really seem aware of what had happened, or what time had passed." Shadow explains. "I found him a while before I showed them, where I'd just sit near him, see what he would do. Sometimes I'd do my homework while sitting seven feet away. He once moved his head slightly at me, but that was it."

"He has a slight amnesia, he can't remember a lot from that final fight." Squishy adds.

"He was really confused when we found him. But you know. We did what we could. We helped him get stronger, and happier. You know…before entirely telling him the truth." Shadow frowns.

"He didn't seem very happy when he found out." Glitch speaks up.

"But you know. We hung out with him!" Shadow smiles. "I always…liked Agents. I always, felt that there was more to Smith than just being hated. So I just…we didn't turn him in or anything. We were careful! We really were!"

"We made that basement like a home. Gave him a couch, a bed, books, and a TV we've been working on." Squishy explains. "And we told him about our day, and about what's going on in the world. He never went outside, we always came to him."

"He started remembering things…" Shadow whispered. "He started to get better. He got stronger, and you know, he could fight again. He remembered kung fu and even showed us. He dreamed of Neo, and…and you. He stopped sleeping because he kept dreaming."

"He never told us that." Squishy looks over at her.

"You don't sleep over with him, and watch him wake up screaming." She snaps at him. "He read your book."

Shadow returns her gaze to the Agents. Brown lowers his head, and his eyes looks up to meet with Shadow's.

"He's our friend." Squishy said.

"We just…weren't enough." Shadow whispered.

Glitch then lowers his head, and bites his lower lip. Shadow turns her head, and Squishy says nothing. Jones squints his eyes, confused by the statement. And Brown's mouth slightly opens.

"What do you mean?" Jones asks.

"We should've known. I should've known." Shadow looks over at the boys.

Then a phone rings, and Jones closes his eyes and sighs. Brown looks up at him, and frowns.

"Ember." Jones says.

He grips his chair before rising to get the phone.

"Who?" Shadow asks.

"My girlfriend."

Jones grabs the phone.

"Hello, Sweetheart." He says.

Jones walks into the next room, shaking his head. Brown watches him as he lowers his head and frowns. He slowly turns to the children, tapping his fingers on table.

"He's too good for her." Brown shakes his head. "She's scared of him. I can tell. She scared of what he is, what he used to be. So she sets rules for him, so she feels in control. How old did you say you were? Thirteen? Too young for relationships I suppose."

Squishy looks over at Shadow.

"Not really." He says.

Brown laughs a little.

"Ah love is a strange, strange thing. Especially for programs who never knew of such a thing." Brown says. "I'm sure it must be as confusing to you as it is for us."

"Not really." Shadow says this time. "One would know love, right? It's just something…universal. Love knows no boundaries."

Brown smiles.

"You're right. My you are very deep, Miss." He says. "Now you say you're an…"

"Agent Lover." Glitch says.

Brown smiles.

"Well then, I'm quite sure you're aware of the difficulties it is to ease out of one life as an Agent…into this life…" Brown says, putting his hands on the table and moving his thumbs.

"Of course I am." Shadow nods. "I always imagined…this house…before when it was first made for you…I always thought it would just be white walls, not sure what you would do with it…"

"It was." Brown nods. "Exactly. Didn't know what we were going to do. Didn't know a damn thing. Relieved of our crimes, free. And we didn't know what to do… As I said, Miss, you're very deep."

Shadow smiles.

"That's what Smith says."

"I'm sorry, Ember! It's just…now isn't a good time. Of course I love you!" Jones yells form the other room.

Brown looks at the table, and smiles a bittersweet smile. He shakes his head then, and begins tapping on the table.

"We were looking for him…Jones and I. Even after the war. When we woke up in that street, the first thing we thought was 'Where's Smith?'" Brown laughs. "While I was one of his copies, your mind still lays partly awake, partly self-aware, and I can just remember how good it felt to be a part of him again…

"That connection, right?" Squishy says.

Brown looks up.

"Yes…" He says.

Glitch is sliding down in his chair.

"Anyway…we looked, ran away from Agents. We searched for him for so long, I guess we just…lost hope…We just actually thought he was gone this time and gave up. If only we didn't, maybe we could have found him…"

"But we found him." Shadow says.

"Yes…yes you did." Brown nods, and smiles.

She wanted to say something. Something that would make this better, but there really was nothing to say.

But Brown still smiled, now knowing Smith was alive.

Jones suddenly came back, hanging up the phone angrily, and biting his lower lip. Brown said nothing, and diverted his eyes. The quiet observer, Brown, who knew all, had no one to share his knowledge with.

"I am sorry." Jones said, sitting in his chair.

The children say nothing at first, Brown's sadness infecting them.

"Smith is gone." Shadow blurts out. "I'm sorry…Brown we couldn't protect him…" She lowers her head.

"What are you talking about?" Brown demands.

Shadow lowers her head, and can't say the words.

"Agents got him. We don't know how. They just came and took him. There was nothing we could've done…" Squishy says.

"I'm so sorry." Shadow whispers.

Brown and Jones glance at each other, before returning to their own distance stares. If only they had sunglasses on they would look just like Agents again. After a moment of silence Brown gets up and picks up the children's plates.

"Then he is dead, once again." Brown says.

"No he's not!" Shadow demands.

Brown is silent, seemingly taking on an Agent's plain expression.

"You all seem close to him, but…if Agents have taken him…" Brown says.

"He's not dead! You know that! You of all people should know that!" Shadow yells at him.

"Mae!" Squishy yells.

"They would keep him alive! They would find how he is connected with Neo! They would interrogate him! They would keep him alive for at least a week! It's been two days! He's not dead! Not…not yet…" She says.

Brown is shaking his head, the joy that was once there is gone. Jones is staring at him, reading his face. And again they are Agents waiting for their leader to come back. They're standing in that hallway, watching in horror as cracks appear on their leader's skin, and their listening to the horrifying crackling screams through the earpieces.

"She is correct." Jones whispers to Brown. "They would keep him."

"He's dead." Brown still shaking.

"But what if he…"

"He's dead!"

The children are silent, it's like watching their parents fight. Which is quite striking for Shadow, mommy always getting impatient. Squishy just knew this would happen. And Glitch…Glitch doesn't care.

Brown gets out of his chair and starts heading for a hallway.

"Think about it, Brown!" Jones yells at him.

"What do you think I've been thinking about? What do you think I've been doing? All these years, I've thought of him! All these years I wanted just another minute with him! Now I find he's been here all this time, and now he's dead! He's dead, Jones! They killed him!" Brown yells.

Shadow looks at the boys, and nods to keep silent.

"Yes, Brown. Fifty-six years. That's how long. I know…." Jones nods. "But…"

"He's dead!"

"But what if he isn't!"

"…But he is."

"No, Brown, no!"

Jones starts towards Brown as the littler Agent turns away.

"What if he isn't? What if he is alive? Then are we just going to do nothing again? If we do nothing now he will be dead." Jones says to him.

Brown stops at a doorway.

"They'll come after us, Jones. Those damn Agents." He says.

"If they come after us, they'll need to give the Zion Council a reason. They'll have to tell them about Smith. And if they don't we will. They'll have to tell all of the humans that they had Smith, and they didn't tell them. That alone is reason enough to start another war." Jones grabs Brown's shoulder. "I've thought about this scenario before."

Brown covers his eyes.

"The most they could ever give us is House Arrest, and make up some feeble excuse for it! And face it, Brown, you never leave this house!"

"He's dead…."

"But what if he isn't?"

Brown turns to Jones, and looks back towards the children.

"You came all this way, just to tell us?" Brown asks.

"You're the only ones that can save him." Squishy says.

"We just want him back." Shadow nods.

"I haven't fired a gun in fifty-six years…. I think I've forgotten how." Brown says and laughs at himself. "I haven't thrown a punch…I haven't taken a life…nothing."

"Then it'll be like old times. I'll protect you." Jones smiles.

"Jones…" Brown shakes his head.

"You remember how it is. You go get Smith, I'll cover you two. I remember how to, really." Jones nods.

Brown is shaking his head still, remembering old and nearly forgotten memories.

"I don't know if I can…" Brown says.

"I want Smith back, Brown. I want him back, just like you."

"You have a wonderful way of showing it!"

"Please, Brown! I just want Smith."

Brown bites his lower lip, and shakes his head.

"Well they there are." Shadow nods.

"Kind of inspiring." Squishy nods.

"So this is it, I guess. They get him, right?"

"Yeah. They'll get him."

They're children. There isn't much doubt, well there is, but they just aren't accepting it. Shadow always says if she doesn't think something will fail it doesn't. So she's not thinking about the possibility of this all failing. If Jones and Brown are killed and if the three of them have to start running for their lives. But there's not much of a concept of death to children so young. They can say they will die, but it really doesn't go through.

They watch as the adults run around, and they sit on the couch.

"I need to call Akio." Shadow says.

"How come?"

"In case we die."

"Don't say that."

"We're on a rescue mission. We are Neo, and we're going to save Morpheus. Neo did it. He saved that man, and he went on to become a Councilor." Shadow nods.

She doesn't pull out her cell phone. But a minute later does to see she has thirty-seven missed calls, all mom and dad. She laughs and puts it back in her pocket.

"I can't believe I'm in this house." Shadow says.

"Nice TV." Glitch nods.

"You know…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jones is tucking his cuffs in, he wears his suit. His suit. Brown turns to him and frowns.

"You're joking." Brown says.

"Look what I found." Jones holds up a suit.

Brown stares at it with shock.

"You can't expect me to wear that." Brown says.

"Would you prefer a trench coat?" Jones smiles.

Brown takes a moment looking at the suit. The very suit he was born in, the very suit he killed in…the very suit he watched Smith die in. The very suit he ran into Exile with. Brown's mouth drops open. His suit…

"I know it's been harder for you…and I'm sorry for that. I just don't think I could…help you." Jones whispers.

Brown is silent.

"You were always so much sensitive than us, Brown. But that is what saved us. That curiosity, Brown, that concept of life you had. That's what made you go into Exile, and that's what made you take me with you." Jones continues. "I know, I've never really been able to…understand emotion like you…but I…"

Brown grabs the suit.

"Give me a minute to change." Brown says.

Shadow is watching them from afar. Those big brown eyes similar to a boy named Thomas Anderson. She's watching them.

"I wish there was something I could do…" Shadow whispers.

"You're giving them Smith, aren't you?" Squishy says.

"That's got to be enough." Glitch agrees.

But she's still staring at them, and frowning.

"I never knew, Matt., Gino…I could have never…." She starts.

Jones waits patiently at Brown's closed door for him to come out.

"It must be so horrible, being only two thirds of themselves. Like…it's like losing a leg, losing a part of yourself, you know. But the worst thing is…they didn't lose him, he just left them." Shadow says.

Brown comes out, tugging on the jacket, and tie.

"Fits perfectly." Brown says but frowns at the bitter sweetness of it all.

"Here." Jones hands him a gun. "It's yours. It only has one clip."

Brown reluctantly takes it, and grips it tightly. He then looks over at the children.

"They're just kids, Jones. Why are they so willing to go into all this?" Brown says.

"The same reason why we're doing this."

Brown nods.

"Listen. We're going to take you with us. But we're going to drop you off somewhere to be safe. You will wait for us. You will wait for us." Brown instructs them. "You will hide."

The children nod.

"Good." Brown nods.

Jones goes over to a door, and opens it.

"Ever heard of a backdoor, kids?" Jones asks.

The door reveals an endless hallway of doors and doors and doors.

"Why do you have that there?" Shadow yells.

"Why not?" Jones grins.

They're walking down the hallways. The ex-Agents know exactly where they're going. They're wearing sunglasses again, and they're walking again. The children walk closely behind them, Shadow looks up at the two of them, and tries to remember that they could smile and laugh. Jones looks down over at her.

"I remember." Brown interrupts. "I remember walking down this very hallway. Remember?"

"…Yeah….yeah! With Cain and Abel!" Jones smiles.

"Yes…the brothers."

Squishy bumps into Shadow. Here we go. Here we go, walking towards the greatest dangers. He bumps into her again, and she bumps him back. He bumps her again. Finally she just walks ahead in between Jones and Brown. She looks at them with great intent, Jones smiles at her, and reminds her that they weren't Agents anymore. When they put those sunglasses on, it was like…they weren't them anymore.

"Here, kid." Jones says. "You know what this is don't you?"

Jones reaches into his pocket and hands Shadow an earpiece.

"It's Smith's." Jones explains. "The Council gave it to us, believing we would find the most value of it."

Shadow doesn't say anything, but just grips it in her hands and stares at it.

"Think of it as a guarantee." Jones begins.

"Now we have to come back. We have to give Smith that." Brown finishes.

Brown looks up at Jones.

"Great." Brown says. "Now we're finishing each other's sentences again. You see what these suits do to us?"

Shadow smiles.

"I think it's a great thing." Shadow begins.

"To be able to finish each other's sentences." Squishy finishes behind her.

llllllllllllllllll

Next Chapter: Together Again


End file.
